The Beginnings Of The Game In Mexico

By 22 June, 2020

The history of casino games in Mexico dates back to the pre-Hispanic period, when it served as a complement to other activities such as sports games or hunting.

Until card games came to our country, of Spanish heritage, for example, our ancestors already participated in other types of entertainment that today we can consider as games of chance.

One of the first shows related to the hobby sector for which there is some kind of record, dates back to 1,519 and is the first cockfight in Mexico.

The event took place on the beach that stretches in Veracruz, more specifically at the height of San Juan de Ulúa. More than fifty years later, in 1,583, the first establishment dedicated to the printing of card games was inaugurated in New Spain.

As early as 1770, King Carlos III of Spain approved the first Lottery in New Spain, called the Royal General Lottery of New Spain. Now the lottery is the more common game: anyone can find lottery site in the web to play and have fun.

This game was regulated according to its nature through a Royal Party. The first draw for this new betting game took place in May 1,771. Years later, Don Martín de Mayorga, Viceroy of Spain, made the first contribution of funds to a public cause, the Hospicio de Pobres.

During the period of the Spanish colonization, the games of luck and chance of the Lottery and the raffle were used as a fundraising method for the execution of public works. Churches, convents and schools were the buildings responsible for hosting these raffles.

On the other hand, IndiaGamblers elaborated that betting on cockfights acquired greater repercussion and became one of the greatest entertainments for citizens. Despite being prohibited for years, this activity was regulated and incorporated into the Card Revenue already in independent Mexico.

Mexican Casinos in The 20th Century

The first French-style casinos appeared in Mexico during Porfirio Díaz’s presidency at the beginning of the 20th century (1907). During his term, Díaz signed a decree authorizing gambling as a tourist attraction business. Since then, the history of casinos in Mexico began to be written in a more relevant way.

In this period the Casino de La Selva, in Cuernavaca, was inaugurated; the Foreign Club, near Mexico City; Hot water; and Rosarito Beach in Tijuana and the Pacific Riviera in Ensenada. Starting in the second decade of this period, the activity of gaming casinos began to spread throughout the national territory.

The former president of the United Mexican States, Plutarco Elías, took advantage of the American Dry Law between the 1920s and 1930s to promote and promote his establishment, encouraging the appearance of new canteens, racetracks and betting houses in border states such as Mexicali, Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez or Baja California.

In the early 1930s, President Lázaro Cárdenas allowed the opening in Tijuana of a racecourse, a race track and several gaming centers.

Despite this, shortly before the 1940s began, Cárdenas decreed the abolition of Casinos, including Agua Caliente de Tijuana, Tecolote in the capital, the Foreign Club of Naucalpan and the Casino de la Selva from Cuernavaca.

Finally, it was in the year 1947, when President Miguel Alemán issued the Games and Giveaways Law, which granted the Ministry of the Interior the authorization, regulation, control and supervision of casino games, bets, raffles and raffles. This would be the first document in charge of regulating gambling in Mexico and an important step in the history of casinos in Mexico.

It seems, however, that in favor of his friend Jorge Pasquel, Alemán prohibited gambling and gambling in the first article. Furthermore, in the second article, he excepted bowling, Chinese checkers, chess and the conchian.

Earlier it established that the Ministry of the Interior would determine the requirements and conditions that all the properties dedicated to gambling should meet, thus accepting the reopening of some mini casinos.

In 1,955 the first permit for gambling in the country was delivered to the entity Espectáculos Deportivos Frontón México, although it was not until the end of the 20th century that the granting of licenses became a norm. In this way, for example, Jorge Hank was able to open the chain of the most important gaming centers in Mexico: The Hot Casinos.

All this is what happened in the history of casinos in Mexico until the arrival of the new Gambling Law, which we will talk about below.

Current Casinos In Mexico

Finally, it was in the year 2004 when the new regulation of the Federal Law of Games and Draws approved by Vicente Fox was published, which managed to largely regulate the chance sector and attract foreign investors to the betting business in the nation, opening the Mexican market to the whole world.

The last modification of said regulations dates from 2013, with the Decree issued by President Peña Nieto in which various provisions of the original text were added, modified and repealed.

With the 2004 Law, gambling is conceived as a legal industry in Mexico, although controlled by the State as far as the offer, promotion, organization and regulation of gambling is concerned.

In turn, it is the State itself that recognizes the right of Mexicans to participate in casino games and luck, and companies to offer these games.

In this sense, the public authorities indicated that the companies would be subject to greater fiscal obligations than those established in relation to entities that operate businesses in other sectors, also allowing the use of new technologies and means of communication for the development of this industry.

Initially, the Mexican authorities only allowed participation in class II casino games, also known as Electronic Bingo (EBT) slot machines, which were slightly modified to adapt to the law.

These casino games, however, did not command the expected attention. Thus, it was only with the approval by the Ministry of the Interior or SEGOB of class III machines that the gaming business began to report the expected benefits to the public coffers.

The Future Of Mexican Casinos

In 2018, the game models of our country continue to evolve rapidly, especially in their online versions. Players no longer have to move to their favorite casino room to play.

In fact, Best Online Casinos Mexico offers a wide catalog of pages with the best games where you can enjoy an experience almost identical to that of a real gaming room.

Furthermore, in recent years, internet casinos have been transformed in such a way that most of their casino games can now be played using cell phones and tablets.

In this way, users have the option of playing on a larger screen such as that offered by a computer; or another one of smaller size like that of a Smartphone or Tablet.

Finally, it should be noted that the speed at which New Technologies continue to develop allows us to think that the way in which casinos will reach users in Mexico will continue to improve in the future.

How will they do it? We do not know. The history of casinos in Mexico has come a long way, but there are still many more pages to write. What we can assure you is that players will be able to access their favorite casino games faster, safer and easier than ever.


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