Mexico draws its betting and gambling roots from the ancient Aztec and Maya cultures and today has a well-developed sports betting culture. There are many official brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, even legal racetracks, but Mexicans also prefer to bet on illegal and unlicensed sports like cockfighting.
However, many Mexicans also choose to take their sports bets online on one of the many sportsbooks that accept players from Mexico. Here we’ll take a much closer look at the Mexican sports betting culture and outline all the vital things any new Mexican bettor needs to know when taking up online sports betting in this country.
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Quick Jump
Mexico has had a somewhat unpleasant history with gambling and betting laws. The primary law regarding all types of games of luck was the Federal Gambling and Raffles Law from 1947, and this was changed and amended in 2004 when online sports betting and other forms of gambling became legal in the country.
Since the legalization of gambling and sports betting, Mexico has become an even more popular tourist attraction. Many sports fans found this an attractive location with betting houses near popular resorts.
Per Mexican laws, online and in-house betting are considered the same, and there are no distinctions as long as the operators are licensed. That is good news for all reputable online sportsbooks, as they all have licenses from reputable gambling commissions.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Mexico?
Online sports betting is legal in Mexico as long as the online sportsbook is appropriately licensed. It is good news for reputable online sportsbooks as they can freely provide their services to Mexican players.
When it comes to selecting the best sports betting site in Mexico, here are some vital things to note:
Before you commit to an online sportsbook, you need to check their license and see if they are licensed to operate in Mexico since Mexican laws stipulate all online sportsbooks need to have proper licenses. All the sites we’ve outlined here have appropriate licenses, meaning they can provide their services to Mexican sports bettors.
Online security is a key aspect of all online sportsbooks. Creating an online profile for any online bookie requires sharing your personal data. Check and make sure that the site you opt for has a valid SSL certificate, fair Terms of Use, and a suitable Privacy Policy.
Before committing, check the sportsbooks’ bonus and promotion policy, no matter if you are from Mexico or somewhere else. Many such sites have attractive welcome bonuses and promos to help you get started. However, we always remind our readers to read the fine print – the terms and conditions and check the possible wagering requirements so they won’t be disappointed later on.
It is best to look for an online sports betting platform that you can quickly learn and use. Some have better navigation and user experience than others, so you need to be careful and choose the one you’ll enjoy. Also, make sure the platform you select supports Spanish, as not many Mexicans can understand English very well.
Look for an online sports betting platform that provides competitive odds and has the markets you prefer. Mexicans prefer to place sports bets on football (soccer), horse racing, American football, basketball, baseball, and boxing.
No matter what the online bookie offers you, if you can’t deposit money, you won’t be able to place bets. So, the available deposit and withdrawal methods play a critical role when selecting. Look for an online sports betting platform that supports your preferred payment method. Many support credit and debit cards, but Mexicans prefer to pay online via prepaid cards like Todito Cash, PaySafeCard, AstroPay, and e-Wallet options like Neteller.
There is no significant difference in sports betting in Mexico or any other country. The single important thing is to select a bookie website with an active license. Here is a step-by-step guide for placing a sports bet in Mexico:
Football is the favorite pastime of millions worldwide, and it makes sense that Mexicans also enjoy watching this sport. But they like it so much that they often select to bet on it and choose to bet on the Liga MX, the Premier League, Serie A La Liga, and Bundesliga. Mexicans also love to bet on football championships like CONMEBOL Copa America, the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, etc.
American football enjoys a lot of popularity among Mexican bettors, and many of them and many tourists in Mexico choose to bet on NFL teams. Most online bookies that accept Mexicans have a good selection of NFL, and NCAA betting offers.
Baseball is popular in some areas of Mexico and among plenty of Mexican sports bettors. Mexicans often choose to bet on American Major League baseball, but there are many who bet on the Asian baseball leagues and the Mexican Baseball League.
The NBA and other basketball leagues also have prominence among Mexican sports punters, and many often place bets on this sport.
Mexicans love horse and dog racing, and many Mexicans choose to bet on these. But since not all online sports platforms carry these sports markets, all the Mexican bettors who like to bet on horses and dogs should carefully review the sports betting offers of the online bookie.
Boxing is the last in our list of sports that Mexicans love to bet on, as many professional boxers have a connection with Mexico, and Mexicans love to bet on significant boxing fights.
The online bookies available in Mexico have varied offers for the types of bets they provide, and they usually offer flexible services and work on accommodating Mexican punters. Here is a list of the most popular types of bets Mexicans usually place:
The Moneyline, otherwise known as a win bet, is the most commonly placed bet in Mexico, as this is the preferred type of bet placed on soccer. It is either the home team to win, the away team to win, or the match to end in a draw.
Mexicans usually place accumulator bets, which involve betting on two or more selections as a part of the same bet. To win the bet, each selection must win.
As we noted above, horse racing is among the most popular sports Mexicans bet on, and they chose to do this via pari-mutuel bets. This bet involves placing a bet against other people who have placed a bet on the same sporting event. It may sound unclear, but it is relatively simple, as all the bets go into a pool, and the winning amount is shared equally between all the parties who bet on the winner.
Whether online or offline, Sports bookies earn their income by charging a specific margin on each event, no matter the outcome, which is called the odds margin. When it comes to betting odds, you should check several sports betting websites to compare the odds, as these decide how much you’ll be paid if you win the bet. Since there is no perfect online bookie, you should check several that accept Mexican players, check their odds and margins, and decide which one you like the best.
Mexico’s most popular online bookies run many promotions and bonuses, and some even have free bet offers for their members. Without exception, each one comes with terms and conditions, so it would be good to familiarize yourself with these. Here is a rundown of the most famous offers Mexican bettors have:
Almost all online sports betting platforms offer some welcome bonus. Usually, it is a percentage match of the welcome bonus between 50 and 100% on the initial deposit, and many sites also provide a bonus match on the second deposit. All welcome bonuses come with wagering requirements.
Some online bookies also have tempting no-deposit bonuses. Mexicans can use this small amount to check the odds and offered markets.
Free bets are coveted promotions and are awarded at the platform’s discretion. Free bets are often given to regular players during a particular competition or are linked with making a deposit and can be used on select markets.
Cashback offers are an appealing promo deal that many sportsbooks have. With this promo deal, the players get back part of their lost money on the platform.
Online sports bookie websites cater to their members’ needs and have deposit and withdrawal options that make it easy for Mexican people to use their services. The payment methods must be appealing and convenient to Mexican players. All online sports betting platforms offer varied deposit and withdrawal options for their players; Mexicans prefer to use the following deposit methods:
✅ Credit/Debit Cards – Using a credit or a debit card in Mexico to deposit real money to the online bookie is fast and convenient. The most common credit and debit cards in Mexico are Visa and MasterCard, and almost all online casinos accept these. Still, these are often used by tourists in Mexico, as international tourists amount to a good percentage of sports punters in this country.
✅ Prepaid Cards – Mexicans love to use prepaid card systems to remain safe and anonymous while paying online. There are several prepaid options for Mexicans through which they can transfer cash to their preferred gambling website:
✅ E-Wallets – Using e-wallets like Neteller, Skrill, or PayPal is easy and convenient to deposit money to an online gambling platform. Mexican players can take advantage of each of these, especially Neteller.
However, not all of these support withdrawals, so Mexicans often opt to use these withdrawal methods to get their winnings from the online bookie platforms:
✅ Bank Wire Transfer – Bank transfers are a prevalent withdrawal method among Mexican players, as they allow a direct way to get your withdrawals. Mexicans can withdraw between MEX$900 and MEX$600,000 via bank transfer.
✅ Neteller – The e-Wallet Neteller supports withdrawals and has a limit between MEX$220 and MEX$750,000. Many Mexican bettors choose this as a viable withdrawal method as it takes about 12 hours for the money to arrive.
✅ Bitcoin – Making a withdrawal in cryptocurrency is becoming more popular, and some Mexican bettors select this option to take their winnings from online bookies. The withdrawals in crypto are fast and anonymous.
✅ Courier Check – No, checks are not outdated, and many sportsbooks have the option to send you an actual physical cashier’s check to your address. Many Mexicans use this option to withdraw their winnings, but the downside is the long waiting time of up to 28 days.
What Is the Best Payment Option for Mexican Players?
Mexican sports bettors have many convenient deposit and withdrawal methods like Visa, MasterCard, bank transfer, cryptocurrency, etc. Still, many prefer to make deposits using one of the several prepaid card systems or an e-Wallet service. Mexicans withdraw their winnings via e-Wallets, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, and courier checks.
If you are thinking of joining an online bookie in Mexico, here are some expert tips that will help you get started:
Gambling is legal in Mexico, as is sports betting, and per Mexican laws, online sports betting falls in the same category as land-based betting. The only stipulation is for the online sportsbook to have a proper license.
Online betting is legal in Mexico, with several local online sportsbooks available. However, almost all global online sportsbooks accept players from Mexico. It is safe to gamble and bet online in Mexico, and this country has an increasing number of sports bettors.
Sports betting is safe in Mexico, and plenty of licensed sportsbooks operate within the country. Still, Mexicans can join any online sportsbooks that accept Mexican players, as long as the sportsbook has a valid license.
The legal limit for Mexican sports bettors is 18 years of age, and players younger than 18 are not accepted to online sportsbooks and are even forbidden to enter brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
The age limit in Mexican betting sites is 18 years.
The deposit limits vary according to the selected deposit method and the online bookmaker. Mexican players have a deposit minimum of $10.
Yes, any Mexican bettor who wins a bet must report their winnings with the Mexican tax services. However, the taxes are very low, and the Mexican federal government takes only 1% of the winnings in taxes, while the individual state taxes vary per state and go from 4% to 6%.
The official Mexican online sportsbooks are required by law to withhold the taxes on winnings and make the payments on behalf of the winners.
The withdrawal time depends on the selected withdrawal method. In the case of using Visa or MasterCard, the withdrawal time is between one and three days, and when using bank transfer, it may take from three to seven business days. Still, Mexicans prefer to use Neteller which takes about 12 hours, and a courier check takes up to a month.
There is no one uniquely best or perfect online sportsbook website site in Mexico, but there are several that rank very high. Betway is one of Mexico’s favorite online bookmaker sites, and 22 Bet is right there alongside it.
Mexican betting sites support a variety of markets and usually carry a wide selection of sports one can bet on.
Mexican sports bettors prefer to bet on football, mainly the Mexican MX Liga, and the top European leagues like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and the major football competitions like CONMEBOL Copa America, the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League. However, many also choose to bet on American football, basketball, baseball, horse racing, and boxing.
Sports betting odds in Mexico work the same way they do in all other countries. The online bookmakers calculate and display the odds, including their odds margins, and Mexican sports bettors prefer the fractional odds format.
The free bets don’t depend on the country of the bettor but the particular sportsbook. Mexican players get free bets, but they depend on the selected online sports betting platform. These often come as a bonus option with the welcome offer or are awarded to regular players.
The sign-up bonus is available on almost all online sports betting sites, including those in Mexico. The sign-up bonus is provided on initial sign-up, and any new member can opt in to take advantage of the welcome bonus. Different online betting platforms have different welcome bonuses, as some have percentage matches and others have fixed welcome bonus sums, but all of these come with wagering requirements.
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