Mexico Disputes Report on 20 Casino Licenses

Mexico’s gambling scene is no stranger to scandals. Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department issued sanctions for three individuals and two casinos with ties to the Northeast Cartel, which was designated a terrorist organization. 

In 2022, the General Directorate of Games and Sweepstakes’ inspectors were accused of racketeering domestic casinos, asking owners to push money under the table in order to hold on to their licenses or avoid hefty penalties.

Now, the same regulator is facing a series of claims by the newspaper Reforma regarding 20 casino licenses that were allegedly granted to a company tied to the family of Hernán Bermúdez Requena. The former is a detained former official facing serious criminal charges.

Regulator Denies Claims

The claims in the report, which appeared on Reforma’s front page, were denied by the general directorate. 

The newspaper claimed that the licenses received approval during the final year of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, connecting the permits to Compañía Operadora Clíe, a firm said to be connected to the controversial ex official Bermúdez Requena.

However, Mexico’s Interior Ministry, SEGOB, said the licenses were only issued following a court ruling that ordered it to do so via an administrative court, and have not yet been used to operate active casinos.

Even more, authorities reassured the public that the licenses were not directly assigned to Clíe, explaining that they fall under permits linked to separate entities. 

Plus, some licenses tied to casinos such as Centenario and Diamante, along with the CrownCityBets website, have been suspended.

Bermúdez Requena, who previously served as security chief in the state of Tabasco, remains in custody and is accused of leading a criminal group connected to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

“I Had Never Seen This Requena Character in My Life”

Former SEGOB head Luisa María Alcalde also pushed back against the claims, stating that the company linked to Bermúdez Requena’s family had received only one license, granted in 2017 under the administration of Enrique Peña Nieto.

Alcalde went on to explain that the additional licenses mentioned in the report were actually issued after a legal dispute between Clíe and the regulators. Even so, the licenses came with restrictions and did not include authorization for common casino games such as slots or table games, limiting their practical use.

“Mexicans who favor corruption, in their typical fashion, want to link me to the former secretary of public security of Tabasco,” Alcalde said.

“I had never seen this Requena character in my life. In all the positions I have held, I have [never] committed a single act of corruption or dishonesty.”

The Association of Licensees and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry in Mexico (AIEJA) also stood up with the regulator’s position, asking for accurate and responsible reporting on the industry while also stressing the importance of using verified facts to maintain trust in what they called a tightly regulated sector.