(AsiaGameHub) – Mexico’s gambling industry is no stranger to scandals. Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on three individuals and two casinos linked to the Northeast Cartel, an entity designated as a terrorist organization.
In 2022, inspectors from the General Directorate of Games and Sweepstakes were accused of extorting domestic casinos, demanding under-the-table payments from owners to retain their licenses or avoid substantial penalties.
Currently, the same regulator is facing a series of allegations from the newspaper Reforma regarding 20 casino licenses allegedly granted to a company tied to the family of Hernán Bermúdez Requena—a detained former official facing serious criminal charges.
Regulator Denies Claims
The general directorate rejected the claims in Reforma’s front-page report.
The newspaper alleged the licenses were approved during the final year of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s term, linking the permits to Compañía Operadora Clíe—a firm said to be connected to the controversial ex-official Bermúdez Requena.
However, Mexico’s Interior Ministry (SEGOB) stated the licenses were only issued following an administrative court ruling ordering their release, and have not yet been used to operate active casinos.
Furthermore, authorities reassured the public the licenses were not directly assigned to Clíe, explaining they fall under permits linked to separate entities.
Additionally, some licenses tied to casinos like Centenario and Diamante, along with the CrownCityBets website, have been suspended.
Bermúdez Requena, who previously served as security chief in the state of Tabasco, remains in custody and is accused of leading a criminal group connected to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
“I Had Never Seen This Requena Character in My Life”
Former SEGOB head Luisa María Alcalde also pushed back against the claims, stating the company linked to Bermúdez Requena’s family received only one license—granted in 2017 under the administration of Enrique Peña Nieto.
Alcalde further explained the additional licenses mentioned in the report were issued after a legal dispute between Clíe and regulators. Even so, the licenses came with restrictions and did not include authorization for common casino games like slots or table games, limiting their practical use.
“Mexicans who favor corruption, in their typical fashion, want to link me to the former secretary of public security of Tabasco,” Alcalde said.
“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 Association of Licensees and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry in Mexico (AIEJA) also supported the regulator’s position, calling for accurate and responsible reporting on the industry while stressing the importance of using verified facts to maintain trust in what it described as a tightly regulated sector.
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