Mexico President Against Casino Licenses

Needless to say, Mexico doesn't like casinos. It just doesn't like casinos that the federal government can't regulate. Manuel López Obrador, the country's president, has recently been on a warpath, attacking the gaming industry and, in particular, casino licenses granted by former president Vicente Fox.

Obrador has already confirmed on more than one occasion that improvements are coming to Mexico's gaming scene and has also stated that before further notice no new casino licenses will be released. Still, after asking the country's interior secretary to revoke their licenses, he wants to shut down casinos. The war, though, won't end over there.

The president gone mad from the fact that after bringing his case to court, the corporation was able to obtain the permits, where a judge allegedly signed off on the applications. The case concerns 2 licenses: one for Wadcor  (12-year signing period to open up to 10 venues) and the other for True Win Group, based in Mexico. Obrador instructed the Secretary of the Interior, Olga Sánchez Cordero, to revoke the licenses, saying:

“Although I instructed that no new casino permits be issued, [the operator] managed to obtain licenses because it appealed to the courts, but I have now ordered that such permit be revoked. I requested the Secretary of the Interior to handle the matter and she has just told me that the licenses will be revoked.”

There is obvious discord within the groups, as well as an effort to see who is more persistent – the president or the casino owners. Obrador has taken a stern stand against corruption at all levels, especially in government, and would not be able to roll over and give up his principles. He said last month:

“We want no more casinos to open and no more permits to be granted that began during Vicente Fox’s administration… We are not going to grant such permits. Some licenses may have been issued but that is because we need to clean up the government, and we have been doing that for a long time now, but we are not done yet.”

Casino operators assume the Obrador oversteps his jurisdiction and is prepared to fight against him wherever they can. The President, though, remains adamant to prove that he is running the show and will do what it takes to make sure he is right.