A Mexico City lawmaker has introduced a proposal to tighten Mexico’s federal gambling rules, with a draft that would formally treat gambling addiction as an addictive disorder, add stronger checks on digital betting platforms and curb advertising and prediction wagers on sensitive events.
The initiative, presented by Deputy Alberto Martínez Urincho, seeks to add Article 1 Bis and amend Article 3 of the Federal Law on Games and Sweepstakes. According to the initiative registry, it is a “PROYECTO DE DECRETO” framed as an addition and reform to the law in matters of ludopathy and regulatory improvement of betting houses.
The draft would require gambling and betting providers to display health and risk warnings, including notices about compulsive gambling and the prohibition on girls, boys and adolescents placing bets. It would also require strict identity controls, including biometric recognition on online gaming platforms, to prevent underage access.
Other parts of the proposal would prohibit misleading advertising, stop promotions and welcome bonuses aimed at hooking new users, and bar betting operators from advertising in sports events or within their sports reference coverage in media outlets. It would also explicitly prohibit prediction bets on political events, armed conflicts, natural disasters, humanitarian crises, or any other event that could violate human dignity.
Martínez Urincho said the initiative is meant to counter what he called the “exponential growth of online betting and its impact on young people.” He said the effort is built around recognising gambling addiction as a condition that directly affects mental health.
He also pointed to what he described as official figures showing that between 4% and 8% of Mexico’s adolescent population has problematic or dependent gambling-related behaviour. He cited UNAM Global estimates that up to 3.9 million Mexicans could suffer from gambling addiction, and that affected people may be up to 15 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.
In comments quoted by Yogonet, Martínez Urincho said gambling addiction was not simply leisure or entertainment. He said it involves changes in brain circuits that lead to compulsive behaviour despite serious physical, psychological and social consequences.
The proposal would also have the Ministry of Government, working with the federal Ministry of Health, set up a national registry for people who recognise they are addicted and want to voluntarily bar themselves from physical casinos and online platforms. Sanctions for the new provisions would be set in the corresponding regulation.
The proposal comes against a legal framework that already places the Secretary of Government in charge of interpreting and applying the Federal Law on Games and Sweepstakes, and says advertising for authorised games and draws requires a permit and must include messages that the games are forbidden to minors. The current regulation also bars minors from access or participation in permitted betting venues.
Because games of chance and sweepstakes are governed by federal law, the initiative must first be approved by the Local Public Administration Commission and then by the Legislative Plenary before the corresponding bill is sent to Congress. No vote date has been set, and it remains unclear whether federal lawmakers will take up the issue separately.
