A federal bill introduced in Mexico seeks to restrict betting and casino advertising during minor protection hours across broadcast and digital media.
 

Key Points

The proposal would ban betting and casino advertising between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. across all media platforms.

The bill applies uniformly to licensed and unlicensed operators and includes digital channels.
 

A Mexican federal lawmaker has introduced legislation that would prohibit betting and casino advertising between 6 am and 10 pm across all media platforms, targeting content considered accessible to minors.

The bill, submitted by Deputy Juan Ignacio Zavala Gutierrez, proposes amendments to the Federal Law on Games and Drawings, the Federal Law on Telecommunications and Broadcasting and the Federal Consumer Protection Law. 

Under the proposed framework, betting and casino advertising would be restricted during designated minor protection hours on broadcast television, pay television and digital platforms.

According to the initiative, the ban would apply to programs, transmissions, spaces or content directed at or accessible to children and adolescents. The proposal establishes a daily 16-hour restriction window and does not differentiate between licensed and unlicensed operators when applying advertising limitations.

The legislation has been referred to the Governance and Population, Radio and Television and Economy, Commerce and Competitiveness committees of the Chamber of Deputies for review. No timeline has been announced for committee discussion or potential floor debate.
 

The proposal explicitly includes digital environments such as streaming platforms and social media, citing increased exposure to gambling advertising in spaces where minors are active users. The text does not outline exemptions for live sporting events or other programming traditionally associated with betting advertising.

Mexico’s gambling sector continues to operate under the Federal Law on Games and Drawings enacted in 1947, a framework widely regarded as outdated in relation to the expansion of online betting.

While the country allows gambling operations through administrative permits, advertising practices have developed unevenly, particularly in digital channels.

The introduction of the bill adds to ongoing legislative discussions in Mexico regarding gambling related consumer protections, particularly as online betting activity and marketing visibility continue to grow.

At this stage, the proposal remains at the committee level and would require approval in both chambers of Congress before becoming law.

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