The Mexican government announced the temporary closure of 13 casinos on Wednesday (12 November) after authorities identified financial operations consistent with money laundering. Officials outlined the measures during the daily morning press conference, emphasising that the suspensions stem from an extended, multi-agency investigation.
Authorities said the inquiry was conducted with the assistance of the US Department of the Treasury and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
Together, they uncovered irregular financial activity across multiple states, including Baja California, Chiapas, Jalisco, Mexico City, Nuevo León, Sinaloa, Sonora, and the State of Mexico.
The country’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said the probe began months ago and uncovered irregular financial activity across both physical and online gambling operations.
Investigators found that casino operators acquired the personal and banking information of young adults, retirees, and homemakers, in many instances through deception or identity theft.
Officials reported that the operations relied on prepaid cards and digital codes. Casinos transferred funds of an “unclear origin” that could then be used for online gambling or for play at physical venues.
According to investigators, some individuals placed bets without realising their identities were being used to channel illicit capital through the system.
The review also identified records of fabricated winnings. Systems showed large payouts that were never delivered to the purported players.
Instead, investigators said the money was moved abroad and laundered through financial channels in Malta, Panama, Romania, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the US.
Authorities noted that the funds would later return to Mexico disguised as legitimate revenue or business income.
They added that the same cycle was repeated thousands of times across various casinos and online platforms to create the appearance of lawful transactions.
Authorities froze the bank accounts connected to the establishments while they analyse transactions that showed large movements of cash and structures designed to avoid tax-reporting requirements.
Grisel Galeano, Mexico’s Attorney General for Tax Matters, said investigators observed patterns involving substantial cash holdings, cross-border fund movements, and mechanisms intended to obscure the origin of the money.
According to Galeano, these indicators aligned with conduct that the tax authority is obligated to review under federal anti-money laundering rules.
She noted that the findings prompted coordinated action between security agencies, financial regulators, and the tax administration.
The government did not release the names of the affected casinos.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that, for reasons of confidentiality in the investigations, the government cannot divulge the list of casino owners being investigated.
However on Tuesday Grupo Salinas, owned by businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, stated that two of the suspended casinos, Ganadora Azteca and Operadora Ganadora Tv Azteca, belong to the company.
That disclosure led reporters to question whether the enforcement actions carried political implications, given the frequent public disputes between Salinas Pliego and federal authorities.
President Sheinbaum rejected that interpretation when asked about the issue.
She said the government acted on documented evidence gathered during the investigation and that the measures were supported by existing legal frameworks.
President Sheinbaum added that these sensitive decisions require a clear chain of review and that agencies must adhere strictly to procedure.
Her comments sought to dispel the notion of a political motive, a claim she characterised as unfounded.
She stated that enforcement decisions are based on compliance assessments rather than on the identities of the companies involved.
Grupo Salinas, already embroiled in a dispute over millions of dollars in alleged unpaid taxes, also said it intends to file a claim against the administration at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The company argued that the enforcement measures are improper and that it plans to challenge them through international legal channels.
The government did not respond directly to that statement during the press conference, and officials did not address potential litigation timelines.
President Sheinbaum was also asked about recent inspections conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare at a television network owned by Salinas Pliego.
She said those inspections are standard procedures carried out across industries to verify adherence to federal labour requirements.
According to the president, the reviews form part of routine oversight and are not connected to the casino investigation. She added that regulators must apply the same standards to all companies.
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