Mexico’s enforcement campaign against illegal gambling devices is facing resistance from machine owners and operators, as questions emerge over the legal status and ownership of thousands of small coin-operated machines seized in the State of Mexico.
The dispute centers partly on the distinction between the maquinitas targeted by authorities and electronic gaming machines operating in licensed casinos. Mexico’s 2023 regulatory reform generally prohibits slot machines and prevents new casino slot-machine operations, although some casinos continue operating legacy electronic gaming machines under pre-existing permits, transitional provisions or court protections.
Authorities generally classify maquinitas placed in small businesses as prohibited machines when customers pay to play for the chance to win a prize. A protest by members of the Unión Nacional de Maquineros, or UNAMA, has raised the prospect that the status and ownership of individual machines seized by authorities could now be contested through the courts.
A separate legislative proposal could further strengthen restrictions. Morena deputy Pedro Miguel Haces Barba introduced a bill on April 15 that would expressly establish a slot-machine ban in the Federal Law on Games and Raffles.
The proposal provides for prison terms of two to four years, fines, confiscation of machines and permanent closure of premises involved in prohibited-machine activity. The bill remains pending in the Chamber of Deputies.
The latest enforcement action came through Operativo Dos de Bastos, which resulted in the seizure of 3,374 maquinitas across 84 municipalities in the State of Mexico in July. The operation was led by the State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office, or FGJEM, with support from the armed forces and National Guard under the National Strategy against Extortion.
Authorities alleged that the machines generated revenue for criminal groups while exposing minors to gambling-related risks. Officials also recovered 9.697 tonnes of coins from the machines, with the money valued at around MXN9 million (approximately $500,000).
The seizures prompted UNAMA members to protest outside the FGJEM headquarters in Toluca on August 19. The group demanded the return of the confiscated equipment and sought clarification regarding the investigation files and the prosecutors responsible for handling the cases.
UNAMA President Araceli Gutiérrez Caballero rejected what she described as a blanket characterization of operators as criminals. “We are the owners, we are the ones who operate them and pay the people who work there,” she said. “Let them prove it, not just say it.”
Gutiérrez Caballero said UNAMA members could produce invoices and tax records covering their machines. She also called on authorities to differentiate legitimate business owners from individuals involved in criminal activity.