Mexican officials confirmed that the shutdowns followed months of investigation into a system that used stolen identities, prepaid cards and falsified casino winnings to move large volumes of money overseas. Investigators found that individuals with limited financial resources were provided prepaid cards or electronic codes to place small wagers at casinos. Once the bets were registered, the venues allegedly logged fabricated multimillion-peso winnings in the individuals’ names. These artificially generated gains were then transferred to accounts linked to shell entities abroad, routed through tax havens and eventually returned to Mexico through corporate channels. The findings revealed significant vulnerabilities in how physical casinos verified player identities and authenticated major payouts.
Authorities noted that several companies involved had connections to organised crime, though they cautioned that formal cartel involvement has not been established. The closures also affected two casinos owned by Grupo Salinas, which denied wrongdoing and characterised the action as politically motivated. The enforcement coincided with a separate development in which Mexico’s Supreme Court rejected most appeals filed by Salinas-linked companies concerning longstanding tax debts.
One day after Mexico’s announcement, the US Treasury escalated its role by imposing sanctions on members of the Hysa family network, alleging the group laundered funds for the Sinaloa Cartel through casinos and restaurants in Mexico, Canada and Poland. OFAC also warned that interactions with sanctioned entities could lead to penalties and designated transactions at ten Mexican casinos as posing primary money laundering concerns.
Authorities in both countries emphasised that investigations will continue, underscoring the increasing importance of coordinated cross-border regulatory oversight within the gambling sector.
