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Mexico doesn’t have an application process for a brand-new standalone online gambling license, and that’s the single most important thing to understand before budgeting a Mexico online casino launch. SEGOB, Mexico’s Ministry of the Interior, hasn’t issued a new standalone permit in years. Each legal operator’s gambling activities in the country, online included, run as an extension of an existing permisionario’s authorization.
TL;DR
- Regulator: Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB), through its Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos (DGJS).
- License type: No separate online casino or online gaming license category exists. Online casino activity functions as an extension of an existing land-based permiso via a permisionario partnership.
- Cost: No new-applicant fee schedule applies, since new standalone permits aren’t issued. Real cost sits in the partnership or acquisition needed to work under an existing permisionario.
- Term: Tied to the underlying permiso’s own term; there is no independent online license term to track.
- Market reach: One authorization covers Mexico nationally once a valid permisionario partnership and SEGOB technical certification are in place.
Mexico Licensing at a Glance
| Mexico | |
|---|---|
| Regulator | SEGOB / DGJS |
| Status | Closed to new standalone permits, permisionario partnership required |
| License type | Extension of existing land-based permiso |
| Term | Tied to the underlying permiso |
| Application fee | Not applicable to new standalone applicants |
| Tax on wagers | IEPS 50% of amount wagered (was 30% before Jan 1, 2026) |
| Corporate income tax | 30% on net profits, standard federal rate, applies on top of IEPS |
| Player winnings tax (ISR) | ~1% federal, up to 21% where state prize tax exceeds 6% |
| Local entity required | Yes, as part of the permisionario partnership structure |
| Software certification | Yes, RNG and sportsbook engine documentation filed via the permisionario to SEGOB |
| Review timeline | 12–18 months for full technical review once a partnership is in place |
Data verified as of August 2026. Confirm current requirements with SEGOB/DGJS before proceeding.
Mexico's Regulatory Timeline
- 1947 – Mexico’s federal gaming law, the Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos, is enacted; still the governing statute today.
- 2004 – Reglamento de la Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos issued, still the operative technical regulation.
- Late 2023 – Sub-licensing arrangements that let a permisionario extend its permit to third-party brands are phased out, closing the last flexible entry route for new brands.
- November 7, 2025 – Decree published raising IEPS on games with wagers and sorteos.
- January 1, 2026 – New 50% IEPS rate takes effect, now explicitly reaching online and offshore platforms serving Mexican players, even without a physical presence in the country.
- 2025–2026 – A handful of permits have been granted through court orders rather than SEGOB’s ordinary administrative process; SEGOB has publicly distanced itself from that route and confirmed no new permits have been issued through ordinary channels under the current administration.
Why Take a Mexico License (Via a Permisionario)
- Access to one of Latin America’s largest casino markets by population and spend, without needing to build a licensing case from scratch, since the permisionario already sits among Mexico’s licensed operators with SEGOB’s authorization in hand.
- National coverage from a single partnership, unlike Argentina or South Africa where market access is fragmented by province.
- Established payment infrastructure for the Mexican market, including OXXO, SPEI, and peso-denominated cards, already integrated by most permisionarios and their platform partners.
- Regulatory continuity: the underlying gambling regulations haven’t changed in the way they regulate online activity since 1947, so an operator isn’t exposed to the kind of rapid rule rewrites seen in newer markets like Peru.
- A defensible legal position, since operating under a valid permisionario’s authorization is materially different, and materially safer, than operating in Mexico’s large unregulated online market.
License Types: B2B vs B2C
Mexico’s Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos licenses the permisionario, the B2C entity legally authorized to operate games and sorteos with players, not B2B software or platform vendors separately. A platform provider works under the permisionario’s authorization rather than holding its own SEGOB license. This is the same structure BSW’s technology operates within for its Mexico-facing clients: the license sits with the permisionario partner, the platform sits underneath it.
How to Apply in Mexico: The Permisionario Route
Identify and approach an existing permisionario
Structure the partnership
Prepare technical documentation
Submit KYC and AML policy documentation
File through the permisionario to SEGOB's DGJS
SEGOB technical review
Go-live and ongoing compliance reporting
The judicial route, i.e., obtaining a permit through a court order, exists but isn’t something an operator can plan a launch timeline around, given SEGOB’s public distancing from that channel.
Documents typically required (filed through the permisionario to SEGOB/DGJS):
- Company founding documents and any amendments (for the new partner/investor entity)
- Financial statements and balance sheets
- Information about shareholders and key personnel: name, citizenship, address, financial reports, biography, credit history
- Declaration of no criminal record or bankruptcies for shareholders and key personnel
- Documentation of the business relationship with the existing permisionario (partnership, investment, or commercial agreement structure)
- Responsible gaming policy and procedures for protecting players from addiction
- Game fairness documentation: RNG algorithms and mechanisms, certified by an independent laboratory
- AML/CFT policy and KYC procedures for customer identification and verification
- Suspicious transaction monitoring program
- Appointment of a responsible officer for AML compliance
- Internal control system documentation covering account data, player personal information, and transaction records
- Description of online betting procedures and control systems, pre-approved by SEGOB
Documents issued outside Mexico need an apostille and Spanish translation before filing.
What the Gaming Platform Has to Support
SEGOB’s certification process expects RNG and sportsbook engine documentation, KYC and AML tooling, and fiat payment processing built for the Mexican market (OXXO, SPEI, peso cards and wallets) before a platform goes live under a permisionario’s authorization.
BSW’s custom platform goes live in 2 days once branding and configuration are confirmed, with the RNG documentation, KYC, and AML tooling SEGOB’s certification process expects, along with payment support for Mexico’s most-used local rails already built in.
What Actually Slows Down a Submission
The step operators most often underestimate isn’t the technical certification, it’s negotiating the permisionario partnership itself. Because there’s no standard template or regulatory timeline for that commercial negotiation, it’s the least predictable part of the whole process, and it has to be resolved before SEGOB’s 12-to-18-month technical review can even begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Mexico gaming license cost?
There’s no published fee schedule for new applicants, since SEGOB doesn’t issue new standalone permits. The real cost is the investment or partnership terms negotiated with an existing permisionario, which varies deal by deal.
How long does it take to get licensed in Mexico?
Once a permisionario partnership is in place, the technical review and go-live process with SEGOB’s DGJS typically takes 12 to 18 months.
Do I need a local partner to operate in Mexico?
Yes. There is no route to operate legally without partnering with, investing in, or acquiring a stake in a company that already holds a valid SEGOB permiso.
Can I get a standalone online gambling license in Mexico?
No. SEGOB does not currently issue standalone online licenses. All legal online activity runs as an extension of an existing land-based permiso.
Is Mexico's gambling law about to change?
SEGOB officials have acknowledged the 1947 law needs an overhaul, and industry groups have pushed for reform, but nothing has been formally introduced as of this writing. The permisionario model remains the operating reality for 2026.
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