Online gaming expands in Mexico thanks to sportsbooks and the use of smartphones

Gambling is secure. The betting and casino industry in Mexico is growing due to the winnings of people that enter in this world. The value of the market in this business exceeds US$ 10 million, with a 70% expansion annually.

However, Internet and online sportsbooks reconfigure dan industry dominated by physical machines. Inside the ecuation, Mexico plays a key role thanks to the fact that more and more Mexican players use digital platforms and it is an increasing trend.

For 2020, approximately 50% of the gambling users of casinos online will have access to online sites through their smart phones.

Cecilia Murillo, Strendus Marketing Manager, said that, since last year, the industry has a special relevance among Mexican users and new competitors have also started gambling on this online segment.

“One of the greatest strengths of Internet gambling is its accessibility, because people can have fun at any time no matter where, while for the companies it represents an opportunity to reach more range of public, unlike a traditional casino, in which it would be more complicated,” details the Marketing Manager of the company.

“Mexico is a very attractive market for online casinos due to the growing use of smart phones and the habits of the new generations,” added Murillo.

Among the main motives that boost Mexicans to play in online casinos is winning money (a 24.4 %), while a 2.7 % do it for fun, and a 2.4% for curiosity, according to the Department of Applied Investigation and Opinion of the Institute of Legal Investigations of UNAM.

Football, particularly on LigaMX, English and Spanish, is the category that heads the list among the audience, followed by NFL, la NBA and MBL.

Great challenges for online casinos

In Latin America several steps have been given to regulate this industry, but in Mexico the situation is different because the Law of Games and Draws is in force since 1947.

The old legislation allows the entrance of new players to a market that has been on target of Mexican authorities since the last decade.

Cecilia Murillo pointed that, with the arrival of online competitors and their growth on the national market, it is necessary to revise and make new modifications with the aim to put the same legal standards for everyone. “We have a very old regulation and, although it has had several amendments, it has failed on the update of online casinos, because it is a new niche and it is growing a lot among users.”