Mexico warned to consider strong gaming rules

Anita Snow

Tuesday, May 14, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican officials hoping to take a gamble on casinos should consider strong regulations to avoid crime problems such as money laundering, Nevada's top gaming regulator said.

"In Nevada, at one time it was true that there were ... unsavory characters running their gambling businesses in unsavory ways," Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman Bill Curran told a gaming conference here Monday.

"But today Nevada is seen as an effectively regulated jurisdiction," Curran told the Mexico Gaming Summit and Conference.

"Nevada operators recognize the importance of strong regulations," Curran added. "Unfortunately, this is not always true in emerging casino markets in the United States and some parts of the world."

The Mexican Congress is studying whether to approve casino gambling for the first time since it was outlawed by President Lazaro Cardenas in 1934. It is to be discussed in the next legislative session, beginning Sept. 1.

Several hundred representatives of American gaming firms such as Bally, Casino Data Systems and Thunderbird traveled here to gather information and make contacts. The two-day conference sponsored by International Gaming & Wagering Business and Mexico Business magazine ends today.

Mexican tourism officials and other supporters say games such as blackjack and roulette could bring Mexico much-needed tourist dollars and help put the country's troubled economy right again.

"We believe that casino gambling would be very good for our economy, create jobs and tax revenue," said Mexican attorney Enrique Gonzalez, representing local firms that support legalized gambling.

Mexican law currently allows bookmaking, a national lottery, gambling on team sports, horse and dog racing, cockfights and jai alai, a court game played with a curved basket strapped to the wrist.

But detractors argue that Mexico could lose in the long run if it legalizes casino gambling without proper regulations.