🇲🇽 Mexico · Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB) (SEGOB)
Mexico Online Gambling Licence — 2026
Federal licensing largely frozen — most operators access market through "skin" partnerships with established federal-licence holders (Caliente, Codere, others).
Tier 3 — Emerging / recently liberalisedMexico's online gambling market operates under the Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos (1947) administered by Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB). The framework is dated and the political environment around new licences has been hostile — no substantive new federal gambling licences have been issued since 2014, and the AMLO administration moratorium continued through 2024.
Practical market access is via partnership with existing federal-licence holders ("permisionarios") — major operators including Caliente (largest Mexican operator), Codere, and Big Bola. The Sheinbaum administration (Dec 2024+) has signalled regulatory reform but no concrete framework has emerged.
Quick facts
| Regulator | Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB) ↗ |
|---|---|
| Tier | Tier 3 — Emerging / recently liberalised |
| Licence types | Federal gambling licence (long-term, narrowly granted) |
| Application cost | Variable; typically MXN 50-100M for federal licence partnerships |
| Annual cost | Variable; per-establishment fees |
| Gaming tax | ~20% on GGR + state taxes |
| Corporate tax | 30% federal |
| Substance | Mexican operating company; local establishment |
| Timeline | No new federal licences issued in years; most operators use partnership with existing federal-licence holder |
Pros
- Large 130M-person Spanish-speaking market
- Significant retail demand for sports betting and online casino
Cons
- No path to new direct federal licence in practice
- Partnership-only access creates dependency
- Pending regulatory reform creates uncertainty
Best for
- Operators willing to enter via partnership/white-label with established Mexican licence-holder
Permisionario partnership model
Most international operators serving Mexico do so via white-label/skin partnership with established federal-licence holders. The structure: the permisionario holds the SEGOB licence and operates the legal-entity layer; the international operator provides the platform, brand, and customer-facing services under a commercial agreement. Revenue-share typically 70-80% to international operator, 20-30% to permisionario. Caliente.mx is the largest Mexican operator and platform-partner; Codere, Logrand, and Big Bola serve similar roles.
Application process
- Identify permisionario partner with capacity for new white-label brand
- Negotiate revenue-share and operational arrangements
- Brand and platform deployment under permisionario's legal cover
- Operate as permisionario sub-operator with SEGOB compliance via partner
Operational realities
Capital requirements
No direct capital requirement — operator provides platform investment; permisionario provides licence cover.
Player protection
Mexican consumer-protection rules; permisionario-level compliance.
Banking & payment processing
Mexican banking access typically through permisionario; international payment processing layered on top.
B2B vs B2C licensing
Most B2C activity via permisionario partnership. B2B platform providers serve permisionarios directly.
Recent developments (2025-2026)
AMLO administration moratorium on new licences (2019+) continues; Sheinbaum administration (2024+) signalled reform but no concrete framework yet.
How it compares
Versus Brazil: Mexico is partnership-only access where Brazil has open (though expensive) direct licensing. Versus Colombia: Colombia operates a working federal licence regime (Coljuegos) — direct licensing available.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a new federal gambling licence in Mexico?
In practice, no. No substantive new federal SEGOB licences have been issued since 2014. Market access is via partnership with existing federal-licence holder (permisionario).
What is a Mexican permisionario partnership?
White-label arrangement where international operator provides platform and brand under the legal cover of an existing federal-licence holder. Revenue-share typically 70-80% to operator, 20-30% to permisionario.