The Mayor of the city of Torreon in the State of Coahuila in Mexico has announced the beginning of a project for the city to upgrade the licensing regulations. This is to enable some substantial changes in the areas of health, alcohol control and general business, which is subdivided into several sectors including one for casinos, in an effort to licence opening hours for existing gaming halls.

It is no secret that in Mexico hundreds of gaming halls exist, whether illegally or fraudulently licensed, and the announcement of the opening of another 'casino' for the city of Torreon prompted Mayor Rodolfo Walss Aurioles to state that so far his office had not received an application to open a new gaming hall in the city. In a press conference Walls Aurioles said that casino licences are issued by the Federal government, and local councils have to respect Federal law:

"We have the obligation to regulate the use of the premises, alcohol licensing, opening hours of commercial businesses, and now we have to see whether it is convenient to establish an appropriate sector for such businesses (casinos) or if we can make them part of another established sector; but the truth is that we have to do something about this, as it will not go away."

During his presentation before the Special Congress Commission in charge of investigating gambling licenses issued by the Government Affairs office, deputy secretary Arturo Chavez Chavez said that he was aware of the existence of about 70,000 slot machines operating in the country illegally. The official also said that his office issues each year some 5,500 permits for slot machines in the whole country, and that the Exchequer collected around US$18.7 million from this sector.

As Congress continues to investigate the ex Secretary of Government Affairs, Santiago Creel, for his favourable issue of hundreds of gambling licences on the eve of his departure from office, Chavez Chavez was adamant that Creel had no responsibility for any wrong doing for issuing licenses under dubious gaming regulations, and challenged the Special Congress Commission to prove him wrong. In Mexico, licensing is done by honourable men. (E-03.15.06)

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