Illegal slot machines in Cancun raise alarm over children

Cancún, Quintana Roo — About 70 illegal slot machines are operating in convenience stores and small shops across several Cancún neighborhoods, often within steps of schools, according to a street-level review by local journalists.

The machines were found in the Kusamil, Urbi and Paraíso Maya housing developments; regions 94, 95, 97 and 99; and the irregular settlements of El Milagro, Avante and Tres Reyes. Most businesses had four to six machines, despite the Federal Gaming and Raffles Law prohibiting them in unlicensed establishments. Oversight of that law falls to the Interior Department (Segob).

Employees at shops where the machines operate said they did not know whether any authority had ever carried out inspections. The federal gaming law requires authorization from Segob to operate betting games, and its regulations bar minors from participating in bets or remaining in authorized gaming areas.

Psychologists warn of harm to children

Psychotherapists María Teresa Rishmawy Ávila and Deizi Navarro Juárez said exposure to such games could have serious consequences for children.

“We are not talking only about a few pesos or a children’s game. Slot machines can teach children, at an early age, to associate fun with risking money, losing and trying again hoping for a reward,” Navarro Juárez said.

“In children and adolescents, whose self-control and impulse regulation are still developing, this dynamic can encourage impulsivity, lower frustration tolerance and normalize behavior similar to gambling,” she added.

“As adults, we have the responsibility to protect minors, supervise the spaces and activities they are exposed to, and teach them from an early age forms of entertainment that do not involve betting or risking money. Caring for their emotional health also means paying attention to practices that seem harmless today but can influence their future habits and decisions.”

Rishmawy Ávila warned that the effects can be cognitive, emotional, behavioral and social. “Children can learn to associate money and fun with luck and immediate reward,” she said. “Children also learn from what they see and practice. Setting limits today is a way to protect their relationship with games, money and reward.”

Carolina Recillas, a lawyer, psychologist and specialist in caring for child crime victims, said minors can become vulnerable when family support networks are insufficient.

“The situation in Quintana Roo is worrying, because many parents work in the hotel industry and there are family dynamics in which minors spend long periods without supervision; that is why it is important to strengthen prevention,” she said.

Residents demand controls

A survey of residents in regions 94, 95, 97 and 99 found that most consider it necessary to know who supervises these games and whether they comply with current regulations. They said the main risk is early contact between children and gambling or economic rewards.

“As parents, we do not want these gambling games to become normalized because they would increase risk factors among children and adolescents,” said resident Gilberto Alanís.

Other residents drew a distinction between recreational video games and betting machines. “If they are video games, I don’t see it as bad; it can be entertainment. But if they are games where money is involved, I believe there should be more control,” said Sara, a mother.

“In casinos, minors can’t enter, and with video games, I don’t think it affects them,” said Adalberto Soto.

Reporters also filed a transparency request asking how many authorized gambling establishments exist in Quintana Roo, how many inspections have been carried out, whether slot machines have been seized in recent years and which agency is responsible for oversight. No response was received.

Possible criminal links

The discovery comes days after an operation in Mexico State, dubbed “Dos de Bastos,” seized 3,374 illegal slot machines in 84 municipalities. Authorities there believe such “mini casinos” may be used by criminal groups to raise money or support other illicit activities, with possible links to extortion, drug dealing, human trafficking and money laundering. There is so far no public evidence that slot machines in Quintana Roo are being used for those purposes.