Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a lawmaker in Mexico filed a draft bill to make the country more attractive to the online gambling industry. The proposed law would expand sports betting in Mexico.
In early October 2025, federal lawmaker Ricardo Mejía Berdeja presented his proposal to the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress in Mexico City.
The proposal has been named “la Ley Federal de Juegos con Apuesta y Sorteos”.
His legislation seeks to increase online casino/sports gambling dramatically. In 2026, the World Cup will be held across North America, and Mejía wants the government and licensed operators to take a bigger piece of the action.
While aimed at catering to the online betting industry, the proposal would also pave the way for full-fledged brick-and-mortar casinos. A translation of the proposal’s text called it a “radical paradigm shift” for Mexican gambling.
Size of Mexican Online Gambling Market
Gambling law in Mexico is complex, with a 1947 law allowing for some forms of betting to be regulated.
Some parts of the country are considered “gray markets” for online betting, creating operational challenges and uncertainty for the online gambling industry. Operation in gray markets can cause regulatory headaches for global online gambling operators.
Furthermore, Mexico has an unpredictable tax regime for online gambling.
Mexico’s online gambling market was worth $2.7 billion USD in 2024, according to Mejía’s proposal. The Mexican online gambling sector is projected to surpass $3 billion USD in 2025.
According to Mejía, illegal offshore online gambling accounts for 60% of the betting.
Mexico Betting Bill Follows U.S. Model
Mejía’s proposal cited the U.S. as a model for expanding online gambling in Mexico.
In 2024, the U.S. sports betting industry — which is mostly online — had $13.7 billion in revenue, up from $11.04 billion the year prior. Online casinos took $8.4 billion from Americans, up from $6.5 billion in 2023. Both figures will grow significantly in 2025.
With the rapid growth of state-sanctioned online gambling has come a decline in public opinion of sports betting. Nearly half of young American men think it’s bad for society. Sports betting addiction has soared in recent years.
Mejía wants Mexico’s online gambling sector to follow the so-called “responsible gaming” model, which is the basis for the U.S. market. Critics point out that this framework puts the onus on the user of an addictive product.
Previous Efforts for Sports Betting in Mexico
According to Mejía, legislators over the past two and a half decades have attempted to pass new laws to expand legal gambling.
He apparently believes that in 2025 the tax windfall could be too large to ignore. The lawmaker projected direct tax revenue of 5,024.7 million pesos ($271.3 million USD). Operator licenses could also generate significant revenue for the government.
Earlier unsuccessful attempts could have lacked a more populist message. According to Mejía, his proposal would “guarantee people’s right to recreational activity.”
The online gambling industry made the same personal freedom pitch in the U.S.
A 2024 study in the U.S. showed that online gambling hurts American households. Other research has shown that the industry makes most of its revenue from people experiencing problems.
DraftKings and FanDuel in Mexico?
As of 2025, DraftKings and FanDuel sportsbooks are not available in Mexico. These two platforms are the dominant players in the U.S. online gambling market.
It’s unclear if either company would seek government approval to offer sports betting in Mexico, should the bill pass.
Sports bettors in various online forums have mentioned the use of VPNs in an attempt to use DraftKings, FanDuel, and other similar platforms. Using a VPN to access DraftKings and FanDuel from Mexico is against platform terms and conditions.
If DraftKings or FanDuel catches you using a VPN from Mexico, it could result in account closure.
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