Mexico Casinos
Mexico is home to a large gambling population, and for the most part, Mexicans are entitled to gamble freely. Gambling is regulated in Mexico and at a federal level, no less. Gambling has been legal in the Latin American country since 1947, although the industry is heavily regulated. Online gambling in Mexico is legal (by and large), too, and it is our job to help you find the best Mexican casinos to play at.
Our team has worked tirelessly to put together one of the best (and complete) lists of top Mexican online casinos for you to choose from. Alongside finding a new home for your favourite casino games in Mexico, you can also learn about the country’s gambling laws, the types of games you can play and the bonuses you can claim. If that all sounds intriguing to you, read on to learn more about betting in Mexico. First, though, let us showcase some of Mexico’s top and recommended online casinos below.
Best Real Money Online Casinos for Mexican Players
Online Gambling Laws in Mexico
Gambling has been legal in Mexico since 1947. However, some countries differentiate between online and land-based betting. Is online casino gambling legal in Mexico? Let’s find out…
In Mexico, the Ministry of the Interior controls the licenses and hands them out to operators who fulfil strict criteria. Legal gambling sites in Mexico must be partnered with a local Mexican business. There are ample sports betting sites, poker rooms and lottery sites that have done this. Where do online casinos fall, though?
A new gambling bill to replace the existing one mentioned above was first proposed in 2014. It was postponed until 2015 and is currently postponed, seemingly indefinitely. The bill would allow all operators the right to offer casino gaming options to players in Mexico, provided they acquired a license and adhered to the Ministry of the Interior’s rules and regulations. There is no sign of this bill being brought back right now, though.
What about playing at offshore casinos and sites that haven’t acquired a license, then? Are these legit in Mexico? Let’s look at each major type of gambling website and inspect them further to find out more.
Online Casino
Officially, the only legit Mexican online casinos are those licensed by the Ministry of the Interior. This means Mexican operators or foreign operators who have entered a partnership with a local business. Playing at offshore and international operators’ websites that have not obtained a Mexican license is illegal. However, there is good news…
Mexico doesn’t prosecute its civilians who play at foreign sites. Officially, they can be prosecuted, but Mexico never goes that far. Mexico doesn’t tax winnings from licensed casinos, but it will want its share of tax if you win at offshore sites; even if gambling at these sites is illegal, they don’t punish you.
Online Poker
While poker isn’t really mentioned in Mexico’s gambling laws, it is deemed to be a casino game. Therefore, playing poker is legal, assuming your chosen site has acquired a Mexican gambling license. Note that poker rooms exist in Mexico, so these may be worth a visit. Offshore poker rooms aren’t legal, but you won’t be punished for playing at them.
Online Sports Betting
Sports betting is legal in Mexico, assuming you play at a Mexican licensed bookmaker or sportsbook. Again, you can always venture to foreign and international sites, but this is not legal. That said, the Mexican authorities won’t punish you for doing so. It is also worth noting that blood sports (cockfighting) are not offered at sportsbooks, despite being legal in “some” Mexican states. Four Mexican states and regions (Mexico City, Sonora, Coahuila, and Veracruz) officially banned cockfighting in 2021.
Online Lottery
Lottery games are legal, assuming the operator has a Mexican license. The Lotería Nacional goes back to the 1700s and is the official national lottery of the country. State lottos such as the Melate and Revanche lotteries are legal both online and offline. While playing international lottos would be illegal, again, it goes unpunished.
Online Bingo
Bingo is the oddball in Mexico, and it is one of the few gambling games not to be regulated and is, therefore, illegal. However, just because Mexican licensed betting sites do not offer bingo games doesn’t mean that you can’t find online bingo at offshore sites. Moreover, you won’t be punished for playing at those sites, as mentioned.
History of Gambling in Mexico
While Lotería Nacional got its big break way back in the 1700s, the rest of Mexico’s gambling history is relatively shrouded in mystery. However, in the Twentieth Century, more accurate logging of events and records were taken, allowing us to look back at over a hundred years of Mexico’s gambling history with relative certainty. Here is what we know…
- 1911: The Mexican Revolution sees French colonists driven out of Mexico. As a result, the casinos the French had established are closed.
- 1935: Mexico’s president, Lazaro Cardenas, outlaws gambling after taking office.
- 1947: Being a predominantly Catholic and religious country, it is no surprise to learn that the church went on something of a crusade against all forms of gambling throughout the 1940s. In 1947, they succeeded after years of lobbying. However, the blanket ban was tough to maintain and enforce, so illegal lotteries and betting on sports continued, albeit underground.
- 2004: For years, the Mexican authorities did nothing to stop gambling. In 2004, President Vincente Fox announced that gambling would be made legal under new laws. Most Mexicans scarcely blinked their eyes, knowing full well that gambling had for all intents and purposes been present and widespread over the last thirty years. The Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernacion) takes over the issuing of licenses, including to online operators. More licenses are issued in a year than in the previous eighty years combined. The change in law means that Mexican operators can offer their services to the country’s gamblers if they obtain a license. However, they are forced to adhere to strict regulations by the authorities.
- 2014: The Mexican government announces plans to shake up the online gambling industry but potentially allow offshore operators to cater to Mexicans if they obtain a license (without a Mexican partner). However, those gambling laws are kicked into the long grass within a year.
Is It Safe to Gamble at a Mexican Online Casino?
Safe online casinos in Mexico constitute those sites that the Ministry of the Interior licenses. According to Mexican authorities, any online casino that doesn’t hold one of those licenses is illegal and may be unsafe. We know better.
How to Choose the Best Online Casino?
You will find an array of Mexican licensed casino reviews and online gambling reviews for Mexico-friendly casinos based offshore at our site. The most trusted online casinos for Mexico’s players may not necessarily be those licensed in the country. Ultimately, what the casino can offer in terms of licensing, regulation, encryption, and security make it a safe place to play.
However, there is more to top casinos than security. Here are a few of the other key things our team looks for when recommending great casinos to players in Mexico.
Casino Bonuses
Mexican casinos should offer bonuses, but they should come with no strings attached. We want to see fair terms and conditions such as playthrough rates, decent wins caps (if there must be any at all), and a selection of bonuses that can be used on an array of games. If you want to play internet-based live dealer games, there should be live dealer-friendly bonuses, for instance.
Games and Software
The types of net-based gambling games you can play will help decide whether a Mexican casino is worth your time. The more games (from an array of software providers) a site has, the better it is likely to be and the more appealing it will be to you.
The Reputation of the Casino
A license is an essential feature that any trusted casino should offer. However, we would want to see regulation and fair play adhered to. RNG certificates, fair RTP rates and reasonable terms and conditions go a long way in helping a casino build a reputation as a top site to play at.
Casino Customer Support
Customer support should at least be available in Spanish, but we’d also like to see English support. That support should be available via live chat and e-mail, although an FAQ and even an old-school telephone service wouldn’t hurt.
Payment Methods
Mexico is home to a wealth of home-grown payment providers, but international payment options should be presented to players, too. These should accept the Mexican peso and provide financial services free from charges and with reasonable transaction times.
Online Casino Games Available for Mexican Players
You should find a top array of new online casino games in Mexico. However, that doesn’t mean to say that online casinos that accept Mexico’s players should also offer a selection of legendary, popular slots. We want to see…
- The best online casino games in Mexico from many different providers;
- Slots, table games and live dealer games should be the minimum genres supported;
- Games should be RNG certified for fair play;
- The inclusion of progressive jackpots;
- Games should be available to play for free and with real money stakes.
Online Slots
Online slots in Mexico may span many genres, including video slots, progressive games, MegaWays slots, 3D slots, fruit machines and classic slots. However, all these slot machines in Mexico should come with fair RTP rates and a selection of volatility levels to suit all players.
Online Blackjack
Playing blackjack online for real money in Mexico is possible at online casinos and poker rooms. You won’t get too many variants, but European and Classic Blackjack, alongside Perfect Pairs side-games, is the minimum we’d want to see.
Online Roulette
The best online roulette gambling sites in Mexico tend to be online casinos. These should offer European and French roulette over the less favourable American roulette, with live dealer variants thrown in to expand the library of games you can choose from.
Live Dealer Games
Baccarat, blackjack, and roulette are the minimum live dealer casino games we’d expect to see online in Mexico. Table poker, craps and dice games, and money-wheel/game show titles are a plus, but there is little to no point in playing at a casino site without the others.
Other Online Casino Games
Not everybody wants to play lottery games, and scratch cards, video poker and keno, but some of us do, so it is important that a casino delivers here. As mentioned, finding bingo games at a licensed Mexican site is a challenge.
Most Popular Casino Software in Mexico
You can often play Microgaming casino games in Mexico, and it is not impossible to stumble across the best NetEnt casino games in Mexico, either. However, they aren’t the only providers offering up titles. You should expect to see games from the following providers:
- Amaya
- BetSoft Gaming
- ELK Studios
- Evolution Gaming
- IGT
- iSoftBet
- Microgaming
- NetEnt
- Novomatic/Greentube
- Playtech
- Pragmatic Play
- RealTime Gaming
- Rival Gaming
- Yggdrasil Gaming
Banking Information for Mexican Players
Joining a Mexican online casino and depositing with PayPal is only possible if you play at a licensed Mexican site. However, depositing at online casinos in Mexico with VISA and other options is very much a possibility.
The following providers cater to Mexican players:
- AstroPay
- Bank Transfers (Mexican banks)
- EcoPayz
- Maestro
- MasterCard
You should also note that:
- Mexican casinos do not charge you for depositing and withdrawing;
- Deposit times are instantaneous, but withdrawal times can take 1-5 business days;
- All major Mexican casino payment providers accept the Mexican peso;
- Most casinos in Mexico have flexible deposit/withdrawal limits.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are used to gamble at some offshore and international sites, but licensed Mexican casinos don’t typically accept them. Some of the most popular digital cryptocurrencies in use in the Mexican gambling industry are…
Mobile Gaming in Mexico
Mobile casinos licensed in Mexico may (or may not) feature a dedicated iOS or Android app. It varies from site to site. Online gambling apps in Mexico aren’t necessary, though, as most domains are developed in HTML5 and can easily be viewed (and their games played) using nothing more than your tablet or phone’s web browser.
Mexican Online Casino Bonuses & Promo Codes
As touched on, most of the best Mexican casinos can offer you bonuses and promotions. The best bonus at an online casino in Mexico (in terms of value) is likely to be the initial welcome bonus. However, it is not uncommon to see reload deals, free spins, loyalty offers, tournaments and one-off specials available throughout your time playing there.
Some Mexican online casinos require bonus codes to be used to trigger bonuses, while others have an opt-in/out procedure. Either way, you should ensure that you check the terms and conditions page of any Mexican casino bonus before you decide to claim it, just to be sure that everything checks out. Alternatively, you can explore the top (and fair) casino bonuses found at those recommended casinos on this page.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit casinos in Mexico are rare. However, new, and hot Mexico-based no deposit casinos (and their offers) are far more common when perusing offshore sites. If you do opt to claim such a bonus, you can expect to bag a handful of free spins or, per chance, a small cash bonus for free, allowing you to potentially win real money without risks.
Deposit Match
The deposit match is an integral part of any casino’s promotional arsenal. A first deposit bonus at a casino in Mexico should at least double your money. However, be sure that Mexico-based online casinos have deals with low deposit terms and suitably low wagering requirements; otherwise, you could be there for a while trying to clear them before you can withdraw.
Free Spins
Playing at an online casino with a free sign-up bonus, such as a no deposit required offer at Mexico-based online casinos, is a fun way to get started. Free spin bonuses may only be valid on selected slots, but they do give you a great chance to win free money at no risk to yourself.
Reload Bonuses
Much the same as welcome bonuses, reload bonuses can provide you with a chunk of change when you deposit at a Mexican casino. Admittedly, these are often worth far less than a conventional welcome bonus, but they can provide a welcome cash boost if the terms are fair.
FAQs
If you’ve still got a handful of questions about betting at Mexican casinos, we’re here to help. Check out our brief FAQ (frequently asked questions) guide below for answers.
