Poker With Crypto From Mexico
Online gambling in Mexico runs under federal SEGOB permits, based on a 1947 law and its 2004 regulation, which lets licensed betting centres take bets online.
The short answer
Mexico has no law written for online gambling. Sites run under federal permits from the Secretariat of the Interior, SEGOB, based on the Federal Law of Games and Draws of 1947 and its 2004 regulation, whose article 85 lets licensed sports books take bets over the internet once SEGOB approves the system. An estimated 145 brands were active in early 2026.
From the sources at the bottom of the page. We are players, not lawyers; this page is what the law and our sources say, not legal advice.
At a glance
- The law
- The Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos of 31 December 1947, 17 articles long, bans games of chance in general and lets SEGOB authorise specific kinds of betting. It never mentions the internet.
- Online
- Article 85 of the 2004 regulation lets licensed sports books, called remote betting centres, take bets by internet, telephone or other electronic means, once SEGOB approves the system and each bet is recorded with the bettor's identity.
- The market
- An estimated 145 brands were active in early 2026. In November 2025 the government shut down the Mexican sites of Bet365 and Betano, both run by TV Azteca, over suspected money laundering.
- Tax
- Since 1 January 2026 a federal tax of 50 percent applies to all betting, also to bets placed online with operators abroad while the player is in Mexico, and the platform must withhold it. States add their own taxes; Mexico City charges 6 percent on prizes. We could not confirm how the income tax treats a player's winnings; ask a Mexican accountant.
- The rooms
- Mexico is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, and Basepoker's terms name no countries. WePlay's licence is from Anjouan and Basepoker's from Costa Rica; neither is a SEGOB permit.
Permits from SEGOB
Gambling is a federal matter in Mexico. The Federal Law of Games and Draws of 31 December 1947 bans games of chance in general and lets the Secretariat of the Interior, SEGOB, authorise specific kinds of betting; it has 17 articles and never mentions the internet. Its regulation of 2004 supplies the online part: it created remote betting centres, sports books that take bets on events in Mexico or abroad, and its article 85 lets them take bets by internet, telephone or other electronic means, once SEGOB has approved the system and each bet is recorded with the bettor's identity.
Most online operators work under these permits, usually in partnership with the permit holder. An estimated 145 brands were active in early 2026, and Caliente of Tijuana has led the market since the 2010s. In November 2025 the government shut down the Mexican sites of Bet365 and Betano, both run by TV Azteca, over suspected money laundering.
What this means for a reader in Mexico
Mexico is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, and Basepoker's terms name no countries. WePlay's licence is from Anjouan and Basepoker's from Costa Rica, so neither is a SEGOB permit, and both leave the law of your own country to you. Since 2026 the federal tax on betting also covers bets placed online with operators abroad while you are in Mexico. We could not confirm how the income tax treats a player's winnings, so ask a Mexican accountant. We do not describe VPNs or ways around the rules.
Our strategy pages, the odds chart and the calculators are free to read anywhere.
Time zones
Mexico City is UTC-6 all year, so a 20:30 start on WePlay's GMT+2 schedule, 18:30 UTC, is 12:30 in Mexico City. The Tonight page shows every start in UTC.
Sources
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Questions
Is online gambling legal in Mexico?
It runs under federal permits from SEGOB, based on the 1947 Federal Law of Games and Draws and its 2004 regulation; article 85 of the regulation lets licensed sports books take bets over the internet once SEGOB approves the system.
Can I play on WePlay or Basepoker from Mexico?
Mexico is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, though WePlay may refuse players from any country. Basepoker's terms name no countries and say that being able to use the site from a country does not make it legal there. WePlay's licence is from Anjouan and Basepoker's from Costa Rica; neither is a SEGOB permit.