Licensed Casinos in Mexico — SEGOB Permit Guide (2026)

SEGOB (Secretaría de Gobernación) issues permits through the Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos (DGJS). The public list of active permit holders is published at gob.mx/segob under the DGJS section. Verification requires three steps: (1) identify the operator's legal entity — the consumer brand may differ from the permit-holder company name; (2) cross-check that legal entity against the DGJS register; (3) confirm the permit type covers online remote betting (some permits cover only physical premises). Of the 10 operators in our editorial sample, 5 are direct permit holders and 5 operate as sub-licensees under a permit-holder umbrella.

A direct SEGOB permit is issued to the operator entity itself — the same legal person that appears in the DGJS register signs the contracts, holds the compliance obligations and files IEPS returns. A sub-licensee operates under another company's permit through a commercial agreement — the consumer-facing brand is different but the regulatory umbrella is the permit holder's. Sub-licensing is legal under the 2004 Reglamento but consumer recourse in a dispute is against the permit holder, not necessarily the brand you deposited with. Grupo Caliente, Grupo Codere and Grupo Emerald / Logrand are the largest permit-holder umbrellas.

The November 2025 decree raised the IEPS (Impuesto Especial sobre Producción y Servicios) applied to gambling from 30% to 50% of operator gross gaming revenue, effective FY-2026. It also extended reach — foreign-domiciled operators serving Mexican users must register with the SAT and appoint a Mexican legal representative or face temporary blocking. The player-side ISR (6% retention on winnings above threshold) was not modified. Practical effects: bonus terms have tightened market-wide, greenfield entry has slowed, and payout speed at thinly-capitalised sub-licensees has slipped materially.

Yes. SEGOB operators require a valid CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población) plus a Mexican bank account with a matching CLABE (18-digit bank routing number) for SPEI withdrawals. Foreign residents with a temporary or permanent residency card can obtain a CURP through the Registro Nacional de Población and register normally. Tourists cannot register at licensed operators. English-speaking visitors without CURP must either play at offshore operators (no SEGOB consumer protection) or wait until they have residency.

Yes, on the player side. Article 138 of the Ley del Impuesto sobre la Renta applies a 6% ISR retention on individual prizes above 1% of the daily general minimum wage in Mexico City (roughly MXN 2.48 in 2026 — effectively a very low threshold). Retention is at source: the operator withholds and remits before crediting your SPEI. Winnings must be declared on the annual tax return. Consult a Mexican contador for your specific situation — this is regulatory context, not tax advice.

It is either operating under a sub-licence arrangement it hasn't clearly disclosed, misrepresenting its status, or offshore. Never rely on the brand name displayed on the site — always cross-check the legal entity (usually listed in the T&Cs footer or the AVISO LEGAL page) against the DGJS public register at gob.mx/segob. If the entity isn't listed and the brand claims a permit, file a report with SEGOB and PROFECO (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor). Do not deposit until verified.

Yes. The primary channel is a formal complaint to SEGOB DGJS — filed at gob.mx/segob under the queja/denuncia forms. Parallel channels include PROFECO for consumer-rights issues (bonus rejection, KYC harassment) and CONDUSEF for payment-related disputes (SPEI failures, unauthorised transactions). CONDUSEF requires the operator to be registered with the SAT as a financial-adjacent activity. Retain evidence: screenshots, transaction IDs, KYC uploads, cashier tickets and email correspondence.