Written by: Joseph Falchetti, Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert
Last updated:
8 minute read

Mexico Sports Betting

mexican Sports Betting

Mexico Sports Betting
Status: Legal & Unlicensed
B&M Availability: Lawful
Online Availability: Legal & Unlicensed
Minimum Age: 18+
Restrictions: None

Mexico’s sports betting industry is widespread and popular. Despite dozens of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and a few racetracks, much of Mexico’s sports bettors gamble in an unlicensed market. Football betting is the most popular form of gambling, but boxing, basketball, baseball, and pari-mutuel horse racing are also popular. Mexico has more than its share of sports loved locally, such as charreada (rodeo), bull fighting, and Basque Pelota. Cockfighting is popular in the western half of Mexico, with wagers sometimes reaching as much as £40,000 per fight. Cockfighting is popular enough the Daily Mail featured the ‘El Asustado’ Ranch in Guadalajara in a 2015 article.

This introduction to Mexican sports betting discussed the full scope of Mexico’s sports betting culture. I’ll discuss Mexico’s sports betting laws, along with its sometimes-confusing regulatory framework. I’ll provide information on researching the best online sportsbooks while offering a couple of recommendations on bookmaker sites myself. Let’s start with the legality of sports betting in Mexico.

Mexican Sports Betting Legality

Mexican sports betting is legal, with a variety of licensed land-based sportsbooks in the country. Online gambling is a growing industry in the country, with the Interior Ministry licensing more international operators all the time. The unregulated gaming market remains a force, so sports bettors need to be certain of a sportsbook’s licensing before they make a deposit.

Mexico embraces gambling, so bettors do not face prosecution for gambling online, but a bettor needs to know their winnings will be paid. Despite the permissive attitude, Mexican lawmakers have made attempts in recent years to pass comprehensive gambling reform. The 1947 Federal Games and Draws Law (Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos), which is based on the authority under Section X of Article 73 of the Constitution of Mexico, governs Mexican gambling law.

Land-based Mexican casinos have been able to launch online gambling sites since 2004. Since then, many have signed partnership deals with international online gaming business. Licensed online gambling sites obtain a “Federal Mexican Gaming Permit”. Operators which have these include IMSC, Las Vegas From Home.com Entertainment (LVFH), the National Lottery of Mexico, Loteria Nacional para la Asistencia Public, and Prognosticos para la Asistencia Public.

Safety of Online Sports Betting in Mexico

fair sports bettingDue to questions by Mexican lawmakers about SEGOB’s licensing process, Mexican sports bettors need to be careful which online sportsbooks they deposit money into. It is best to find reputable online bookmakers which hold licenses with international regulatory agencies in countries like Gibraltar, Malta, or United Kingdom. These are the most trusted gaming regulators in the world, so Mexican online sportsbooks with those ties can be trusted to make fast, reliable payouts.

Luckily, many of the best online sports betting sites have entered the Mexican gaming market, so you can find the safest and most secure bookmaker sites.

Catering to Mexican Sports Bettors

Online sportsbooks which cater to Mexican sports bettors need to offer a wide variety of sports markets, because Mexicans love to gamble on a wide variety of sporting events. Betting sites need to support Spanish language wagering while using customer representatives who are fluent in Spanish. The Mexican peso is the preferred currency, though many of the most trusted online sportsbooks rely on US dollars as their main currency option.

Because many operators remain unlicensed, the best Mexican online sportsbooks need to offer safe and secure deposits, along with reliable withdrawals. Increasingly, Mexican sports bettors want sites which are compatible with smartphone sports bets, including live/in-play betting.

Online Sports Betting in Mexico

A breakdown of what it’s like to bet online sports in Mexico

Top Mexican Sports to Bet On

  • soccer betting
  • football betting
  • baseball betting

Currencies

  • US Dollar
  • mexican peso

Languages

    • Spanish betting
    • english betting

These options may not be available at all sportsbooks but represent typical experiences.

Best Mexican Betting Sites

The best Mexican betting sites provide desktop gambling with or without a download. Mexican bookmaker sites should be optimized for Android and iPhone live/in-play betting, which provide the ultimate convenience when making a sports wager. As mentioned before, sportsbooks need to offer many types of bets. Most of all, the top Mexican online sportsbooks need to have a reputation for safety, customer service, and reliable payouts. The two sites below match all the traits of a great Mexican sports betting site.

Top Ranked Mexican Betting Site – Sportsbetting.ag

  • Accepts all major credit cards
  • Accepts Litecoin, Bitcoin other cryptos
  • Large assortment of sports betting markets
  • Competitive odds for betting on many sports
  • European football specific bonuses offered for the Cup

Why Is Sportsbook.ag The Best?

The SportsBetting.ag betting site offers most of the biggest sports, including Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey (read review). They also have other international sports like soccer, rugby, and cricket. For the avid bettor, you can use their Live Betting to place bets in real-time. Pick from among dozens of different wagers you can place on a single match-up, along with great prop bets.

SportsBetting.ag offers new members plenty of bonuses, like their 50% up to $1,000 in Free Bets using the code “SB1000“. For those that use Bitcoin, can take advantage of their $20 up to $500 Bitcoin bonus using the promo code “BETCRYPTO“. Take advantage of their bonuses, live betting, and incredible sports betting odds with a sign-up bonus of 50% Up To $1,000. Check out Sportsbetting.ag to place bets and win!

Great For Betting On International Sports – Betonline Sportsbook

  • Accepts all major cryptocurrencies
  • Accepts all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard)
  • Posts sports betting odds earlier than others
  • Large cash or crypto deposit bonus and endless reloads
  • Large bet on point spreads plus other popular sports bets

Why Bet At BetOnline?

BetOnline (read review) is one of the most versatile sites when it comes to deposit options. They accept a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Dash. These are by far the best choice for players as they have an extremely high deposit and withdrawal amount.

BetOnline offers loads of year-round promotions for major sports. Their standard deposit bonus is 50% Up To $250 for players on their first deposit (newly signed-up). This deposit comes with a 10x rollover. They also offer several promotions such as $25 live betting freeplay, $50 mobile betting freeplay, and a risk-free $25 play prop bet. Check out BetOnline to place bets and win!

Depositing and Withdrawing in Mexico

Depositing and withdrawing in Mexico is simple. Due to its proximity to the United States, most of the American payment methods work equally well in Mexico. This includes Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. The withdrawal methods are not as plentiful, so most payouts over the years used bank transfers or check by courier. In 2017, punters have the option to receive bitcoin withdrawals, which offer the safest and most secure payments in online sportsbook gambling.

Mexican Deposit Options You Can Use

Bitcoin: Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer virtual current which uses blockchain technology to provide instant deposits and withdrawals with the ultimate safety, security, and privacy.
Bank Transfers: Bank transfers are a direct, fast way to send money from a local financial institution to an online sportsbook. Local transfers cost 1 to 3 days, while international bank transfers take 5 days. The minimum deposit is Mex$2,200, while the max limit is Mex$1,000,000.
American Express: Amex credit cards can be used to deposit funds in a Mexican online sportsbook. While American Express is not a withdrawal method, Amex’s variety of rewards programs make it a choice of many gamblers. The minimum number of pesos is Mex$100 and the maximum limit is Mex$99,000.
MasterCard: MasterCard provides payments between financial institutions, cardholders, merchants in over 210 countries and territories worldwide. MasterCard payments are secure and convenient for online gambling sites, though they only cover deposits in Mexico. The minimum number of pesos is Mex$100 and the maximum limit is Mex$99,000.
Visa: Visa credit card are issued by one of 20,000 associated financial institutions worldwide and are a perfect choice for online gambling payment processing. The California-based credit card company has an online gambling merchant code, so deposits are supported. Withdrawals are not. The minimum number of pesos is Mex$100 and the maximum limit is Mex$99,000.
MasterCard SecureCode: MasterCard SecureCode adds an additional layer of protection for online shopping. You add a private code, which only you and your financial institution know. The minimum number of pesos is Mex$100 and the maximum limit is Mex$99,000.
Verified by Visa: Verified by Visa is similar to MasterCard SecureCode. You add an extra password to make online transactions secure, helping Visa to detect, prevent, and resolve fraud on the Internet. The minimum number of pesos is Mex$100 and the maximum limit is Mex$99,000.
Neteller: Neteller is an eWallet with free and instant payments between Mex$220 and Mex$750,000.
Entropay: Entropay is a virtual prepaid card with free and instant payments between Mex$220 and Mex$99,000.
Astropay: The Astropay virtual prepaid card allows deposits between Mex$200 and Mex$10,000.
Todito Cash: Todito Cash: Todito Cash is a prepaid card which is instantaneous and free. Players can deposit between Mex$100 and Mex$5,000, but cannot make withdrawals with Todito Cash.

Mexican Withdrawal Options You Can Use

Bitcoin: Bitcoin withdrawals are the fastest way to receive your winnings. Because your transaction receives a unique one-time code, bitcoin payouts are almost instantaneous. Withdrawals should appear in your bitcoin wallet within 10 minutes.
Bank Wire Transfers: Electronic bank transfers are a direct way to send withdrawals directly to your bank, credit union, or other financial institution. These withdrawals range between Mex$900 and Mex$600,000.
Neteller: Neteller withdrawals have limits between Mex$220 and Mex$750,000, while taking less than 12 hours to arrive.
Entropay: Entropay payouts have limits between Mex$220 and Mex$99,000, but take less than 24 hours to arrive.
Courier Check: Sportsbooks which designate specific delivery methods often select check by courier, who delivers a physical check to your address. These payouts range between Mex$20,000 and Mex$1,000,000, but take 5 to 28 days to arrive.

Mexican Gambling History

Mexican gambling history stretches back to the Aztecs, and perhaps even the Mayans. Mayan nobles played the Mesoamerican ballgame, which was seen as a battle between the lords of the underworld and their earthly rivals, with losers sometimes sacrificed to the gods. In the Aztec Empire, the game was called ollamalitzli, which was a direct precursor to modern-day ulama. The 16th-century, Fray Juan de Torquemada, told a story of an Aztec emperor who wagered his entire annual income on ollamalitzli, which is similar to modern racquetball. The Aztecs were known to teach the game in their schools, importing 16,000 rubber balls a year, and staging the game in common markets, where gambling was rife.

In the 19th Century, the Mexican-US border became famous for casinos, because of the United States’ ban on gambling. By 1920, many Mexican resorts catered to American gambling tourists. This ended in 1937, when the Mexican government banned casinos. In the 21st Century, Mexico is home to over 300 land-based casinos, often in border towns like Tijuana and Mexicali, or in tourist-filled port cities like Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, or Veracruz. The Mexican online gambling business is robust, with international operators like NetEnt, IGT, and Kambi entering the market in recent years. Mexican land-based gaming groups like Big Bola and Grupa Televiso are launching their own online gaming portals, often in partnership with international software designers.

Mexican Gambling Regulator

The Mexican Ministry of the Interior licenses and regulates gambling operations in Mexico. It often has been reported in gaming media that a Mexican Gaming Commission exists and Fernando Zarate Salgado is (or was) president, but that is not the case. Though Salgado, a prominent lawmaker until 2015, introduced several pieces of legislation to update Mexico’s 70-year old gaming laws.

At the time, Fernando Zarate Salgado was the head of a Special Investigative Commission, which sought to learn about SEGOB’s licensing policies, especially with the license assigned to Entretenimiento de México S.A. de CV. Salgado’s legislative proposals were introduced in 2014, but Mexico’s national House of Representatives failed to pass the amendments.

Website Information
Mexican Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) Mexico’s Interior Ministry, also known as SEGOB, provides licenses to gaming operators inside Mexico. The Mexican Data Protection Authority, an agency inside the government, and the Special Gaming Committee, organized by the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, have questions SEGOB’s policies for licensing operators.
Senator Jose Maria Martinez Sen. Jose Maria Martinez Martinez is known to be a key proponent of new gambling laws. A member of the National Action Party (PAN), Senator Martinez called on comprehensive gambling laws in the past few years. The senator’s contact information is located on the page thru the link.
Fernando Zarate Salgado Fernando Zarate Salgado is a political reformer in Mexico who once chaired the Special Gaming Commission. Salgado resigned from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) prior to the 2015 political elections, when the left-wing party lost seats. Due to the proportional representation system, Fernando Zarate Salgado remains a deputy with the Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico (Ecologist Green Party of Mexico). His contact information is provided through the link.

About the Author

Joseph Falchetti

Joseph Falchetti

Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert

Joe is the author of the majority of sports betting pages on SBS and he serves as a gambling consultant to our content team. He's been mentioned on Forbes.com as a gaming analyst, and his articles have been linked by larger publications, such as the New York Times.

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