Mexican Regulator Rebuts Claims Linking Casino Licences to Alleged Criminal Figure

Mexico’s gambling industry has been thrust into controversy following allegations that casino licences were tied to a detained former security official accused of criminal activity.

The dispute centers on claims published by the newspaper Reforma, which alleged that 20 casino licences had been granted to a company associated with the family of Hernán Bermúdez Requena.

Regulatory authorities and industry representatives have strongly denied the report, accusing the publication of misrepresenting how the licences were issued. Mexico’s gambling regulator, Secretariat of the Interior (SEGOB), released an official statement clarifying that any licences connected to Bermúdez Requena were granted only after a judicial mandate required their issuance.

The controversy escalated after Reforma’s front-page story claimed that 20 casino permits had been authorized for Compañía Operadora Clíe, a firm allegedly linked to Bermúdez Requena’s relatives. The former official, who previously served as Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection in Tabasco, is currently in custody in Mexico and facing criminal charges.

Authorities have accused him of leading La Barredora, described as an operational arm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

According to Reforma, the licences were purportedly approved during the final year of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. The newspaper cited findings from Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI), a non-profit group dedicated to combating systemic corruption in both public and private sectors.

However, SEGOB disputed these assertions, explaining that the permits in question were actually granted by the Metropolitan Regional Chamber of Administrative Justice to Clie SA de CV and that none of the casinos had begun operations. The regulator further noted that licences for the Centenario and Diamante casinos, as well as the CrownCityBets website, had been suspended following the court’s decision.

Importantly, SEGOB emphasized that the 20 licences were tied to permits originally assigned to separate entities rather than Clie SA de CV, contradicting Reforma’s reporting.

Former SEGOB head Luisa María Alcalde also publicly challenged the newspaper’s claims. Alcalde, who led the ministry from 2023 to 2024, stated that the company linked to Bermúdez Requena’s family had only obtained a single licence back in 2017, during the administration of former president Enrique Peña Nieto.

She explained that after taking office, she found that Clie SA de CV had initiated legal proceedings against SEGOB for rejecting 20 permit applications submitted since 2018.

Following a court ruling in the company’s favor, the regulator complied by issuing the licences, albeit with strict limitations. These restrictions excluded the operation of slot machines, dice, card games, and roulette.

Alcalde suggested that these constraints significantly reduced the company’s incentive to proceed with operations, noting that the licences have yet to be used. She also rejected any attempt to associate her with Bermúdez Requena, stating in a video message on X: “Mexicans who favour corruption, in their typical fashion, want to link me to the former secretary of public security of Tabasco.”

She continued: “They even published a photograph from an event where, when I was secretary of the interior, absolutely all the state secretaries of public security participated, and all or most of them asked me for a photograph. I had never seen this Requena character in my life. In all the positions I have held, I have [never] committed a single act of corruption or dishonesty.”

The industry’s main trade association, Association of Licence Holders, Operators and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gaming Industry (AIEJA), also weighed in, expressing its “respectful support” for SEGOB’s position and Alcalde’s clarification.

In its statement, AIEJA underscored the importance of accurate reporting in such matters, remarking: “In this regard, AIEJA considers it essential that information related to permits, authorisations, establishments and operations in the sector be treated with objectivity, truthfulness and strict adherence to documented facts.”

The association added: “Based on this premise, the association calls for responsible and accurate public discourse on issues related to this industry, in order to preserve the legal certainty of a formally regulated sector subject to ongoing supervision.”

As tensions persist, the episode highlights the ongoing friction between media reporting, regulatory authorities, and the gaming industry in Mexico, particularly when allegations intersect with high-profile criminal investigations.

By fLEXI tEAM