A 1947 law, and a decree that fought it
The governing statute is the Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos, passed in 1947 and never replaced. It predates the machines it is now being used to argue about by several decades, which is the root of most of what follows.
A decree in 2023 banned the drawing of numbers or symbols by machine, which is slot machines described the long way round. It did not revoke existing licences outright, but it stopped new casino permits and blocked current holders from continuing those games at renewal. The presidency said in 2023 that no casino permit had been granted in four years, and repeated it in 2025.
What the courts did to it
Operators went to the federal courts, and many obtained amparo suspensions holding the decree off while its constitutionality is decided. No Supreme Court judgment on the merits has arrived. So whether a given floor still has slot machines depends on whether that operator won a suspension, which is not something a visitor can read off a sign.
For a traveller the practical answer is that the machines are widely still there and the legal position behind them is unsettled. A replacement Federal Gaming and Lottery Law was expected to reach Congress in 2026 to put online gambling, advertising and player protection on a modern footing. Until something passes, the 1947 law and the court docket are the regime.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are slot machines legal in Mexico?
- The 2023 decree bans them, and federal courts have suspended that decree for many operators while its constitutionality is litigated. In practice many floors still run them.
- What is the legal gambling age in Mexico?
- 18.
- Who issues casino permits?
- SEGOB, the Ministry of the Interior, through its Gambling and Raffles Bureau. New casino permits have not been granted for several years.
Legal age, regulator and the tax treatment of player winnings on this page were checked against the regulator's own material or a reputable legal summary in August 2026. Gambling law moves; confirm anything consequential with the regulator before relying on it. Where sources disagreed, this site leaves the figure out rather than guessing.