Miguel Ángel Ochoa in GAT: "No casino has been closed due to money laundering or drug-related issues"

Miguel Ángel Ochoa is the president of AIEJA Association of Permit Holders, Operators and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry in Mexico. As part of the panel on the state of the gaming market in said country, under the moderation of the AEIJA affiliations director Antonio Lara, he analyzed several key points to understand the present of the Mexican gaming market

To begin with, Ochoa sent a clear message to the Mexican ruling party regarding gambling legislation in his country. “We want the Mexican government to speak out on a real state policy,” he explained and stressed, “Gambling is legal; explain to us what the government requires to promote gambling. It seems that we are hiding a forbidden apple; in Mexico we don't see anything that happens in American movies in casinos with prostitution and money laundering. No casino has been closed for money laundering or drug issues. They are stable casinos where families go and have a good time.”

In addition, Ochoa emphasized regarding the laws for gambling in his country that “We need the existing permits to be recognized and the acquired rights to be respected, we also want to receive new rules of the game in light of the change in the economy. “I see more and more new concepts that are here to stay in the gaming market, such as the metaverse and mandatory”

The differences between the Peruvian and Mexican gaming markets

Next, Ochoa made a comparison between the differences between the Mexican market and the Peruvian market in terms of gaming legislation. “Today Peru is one of the most stable states in the world and Manuel San Román was the same regulator for fifteen years,” he highlighted and went into depth. “Mexico, on the other hand, had fifteen regulators in fifteen years, each one who arrived had no idea and when learned is already gone. Therefore, we need it to be a collegiate body, made up of five secretariats: finance, public security, tourism, economy and health. These reforms that we are promoting seek to provide all the stability so that you, wherever you are, whether in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia or Europe, can participate through online gaming. Mexico is becoming a global market. In fact, I see it with my association: I only had Mexican partners and today I have all over the world and we are going for more.”

But in addition, Ochoa once again highlighted the problem regarding politicians and gambling in his country: “In Mexico there are elections, the government is changed starting October 1st, we have had a socialist government that has not supported the issue of gambling much. and even so we have grown: if five million people go to Mexican casinos, let ten million go in the future.”

The differences between the Peruvian and Mexican gaming markets

Next, Ochoa made a comparison between the differences between the Mexican market and the Peruvian market in terms of gaming legislation. “Today Peru is one of the most stable states in the world and Manuel San Román was the same regulator for fifteen years,” he highlighted and went into depth. “Mexico, on the other hand, had fifteen regulators in fifteen years, each one who arrived had no idea and when learned is already gone. Therefore, we need it to be a collegiate body, made up of five secretariats: finance, public security, tourism, economy and health. These reforms that we are promoting seek to provide all the stability so that you, wherever you are, whether in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia or Europe, can participate through online gaming. Mexico is becoming a global market. In fact, I see it with my association: I only had Mexican partners and today I have all over the world and we are going for more.”

But in addition, Ochoa once again highlighted the problem regarding politicians and gambling in his country: “In Mexico there are elections, the government is changed starting October 1st, we have had a socialist government that has not supported the issue of gambling much. and even so we have grown: if five million people go to Mexican casinos, let ten million go in the future.” “We want the new government, whatever it may be, to promote gambling, regulate it and that would allow for an increase in players, greater investment, employment but above all, entertainment for people. “People go to a casino because they are entertained and because it is a safe place and people invest in online casinos because they pay their prizes,” he stated.

Mexico in the Latin American market in the next five years

To conclude his presentation, Miguel Ángel Ochoa remarked that “the presence of foreign partners in Mexico goes hand in hand with the great relationship with Latin American markets; today we are in the main Latin American countries. I think Latin America is a very important market because it is a growing market. While in Europe the population decreases, in America it continues to grow.”

Finally, Ochoa closed by explaining that “there is a market for all ages: online gaming is not opposed to physical gaming, in fact they complement each other. I believe that Mexico has the conditions to be attractive to Latin American markets.”