Mexico City – Authorities in Mexico and the United States are reviewing 39 business groups that operate casinos, betting parlors, and online gambling platforms in Mexico as part of an investigation into possible money laundering linked to organized crime.
The review involves the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as OFAC, as well as Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, the UIF. Other Mexican agencies are also involved, including the SAT, the Federal Tax Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ministry of the Interior.
The goal is to determine whether some casinos have been used to move money of illegal origin, especially funds connected to drug trafficking.
So far, authorities have sanctioned or suspended operations at several casinos, including Centenario, Diamante, Emine, Mirage, Midas, Palermo, and Skampa. According to the investigation, some of these establishments are allegedly linked to criminal groups such as the Northeast Cartel or the Sinaloa Cartel.
Online betting platforms connected to Ganador Azteca and Operadora Ganador TV Azteca, companies linked to Grupo Salinas, have also been suspended.
The case is important because casinos are considered vulnerable to money laundering. They handle large amounts of cash, digital transactions, payments, prizes, prepaid cards, and transfers. Without strict oversight, those mechanisms can be used to disguise illegal money as gambling winnings.
According to investigators, the schemes worked in several ways. In some cases, the identities of people such as students, homemakers, or retirees were used to open accounts or carry out transactions. In others, prepaid cards or supposed winning codes were sent electronically. The casino system would then show that a person had won millions, but the money would be transferred to other accounts, often abroad.
Authorities also detected unusual transactions of up to 50 million pesos, along with international transfers sent to financial technology companies in the United States and Europe.
In addition to the money laundering investigations, Mexico has strengthened inspections of physical casinos. Staff from the Ministry of the Interior’s Directorate of Games and Lotteries now conduct video-recorded inspections of betting rooms, permits, and slot machines.
One of the main problems detected was that some casinos had more slot machines than they had officially reported. Because of this and other irregularities, authorities issued fines totaling around 6 billion pesos in 2025.
At the same time, the sector represents a major economic activity. According to the tax review, the 39 authorized casino groups paid approximately 74 billion pesos in taxes, including VAT and income tax, during the past year.
Among the groups under review are well-known companies in the entertainment, betting, and media sectors, including Grupo Caliente, linked to businessman Jorge Hank Rhon; companies connected to Codere México; and businesses linked to Televisa, TV Azteca, Grupo Imagen, and other national operators.
Being under review does not mean all of these companies have committed crimes. The investigation is meant to determine which groups are complying with the law and which may have allowed irregular operations.
The case shows the scale of the challenge for authorities. Mexico’s casino and sports-betting industry has grown significantly, especially through online platforms. But that growth has also created new areas of risk.
That is why Mexico and the United States are sharing information, reviewing permits, blocking accounts when necessary, and following the money trail.
The central question is simple: if money enters a casino as cash or a digital bet and comes out as a “winning,” can authorities prove where it really came from?
That is the gray area they are trying to close.
