Mexico's gambling industry has recently been caught in a media storm due to an investigative report. The local newspaper "Reforma" published the report on its front page this Monday, citing the non-profit anti-corruption organization "Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity," which claimed that about 20 casino licenses were issued to a company linked to the family of the incarcerated former official, Belmudes Recna. The report caused a significant stir within the industry, but the Mexican Ministry of the Interior and industry trade groups almost immediately countered. The Ministry of the Interior issued a statement on its official website clarifying that these licenses were legally issued following a court order, and although Clie Corporation received the permits, it was prohibited from operating core gambling activities such as slot machines, dice, poker, and roulette, and has not started any actual operations to date. The statement also noted that the licenses for Century Casino, Diamond Casino, and the CrownCityBets website have been suspended.
The former Minister of the Interior personally debunked rumors, tracing the origin of the licenses back to 2017
Luisa Maria Alcalde, who headed the Mexican Ministry of the Interior from 2023 to 2024, also personally responded this week. She detailed the complete timeline of the event: the Belmudes Recna family-related enterprise actually only received one license, which was approved during the administration of Enrique Peña Nieto in 2017. When she took over as Minister of the Interior, Clie Corporation had already filed an administrative lawsuit against the Ministry of the Interior for being denied 20 license applications. After the court issued a mandatory enforcement order, the Ministry of the Interior executed it according to the law but strictly set business restrictions as per the court's decision. Alcalde emphasized that these restrictions led the company to lose interest in actual operations, and the related licenses have not been used to date. She also firmly cut off the interpersonal connection allegations attempted by the report, stating she had never met Belmudes Recna personally and had never engaged in any corrupt or dishonest behavior in all her held positions.
Belmudes Recna himself is currently at the center of a judicial whirlwind. He previously served as the Minister of Security and Civil Protection of Tabasco and is currently accused of being the leader of the criminal organization "La Barredora," reportedly an operational branch of one of Mexico's largest drug trafficking groups, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Industry trade groups support regulatory agencies, calling for fact-based public discussion
The Mexican gambling entertainment industry's licensees, operators, and suppliers association also officially spoke out, supporting the clarifications made by the regulatory agencies and Alcalde. The association explicitly suggested that the report by "Reforma" contained inaccuracies, emphasizing that all industry-related information should be handled in an objective, truthful, and strictly document-based manner, calling for a responsible and accurate public discussion around this industry to maintain the certainty of a formally regulated and continuously monitored sector.
PASA official website continues to track regulatory dynamics and transparency in the Latin American gambling market, noting the joint response pattern of Mexican regulatory agencies and industry trade groups, providing an efficient and coordinated path for emerging market regulatory agencies in dealing with public controversies.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
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