In a move that may put an end to a rumored Codere/Hard Rock International casino project in Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has declared there will be no new gaming licenses issued while he’s in office Last year, Obrador was elected to a six-year term, which means he will occupy the Palacio Nacional until 2024.
According to CalvinAyre.com, Obrador’s position is seen as a concession to Mexico’s Catholic church, which unsuccessfully lobbied former President Enrique Peña Nieto to halt the spread of casinos after the 2011 firebombing of the Casino Royale in Monterrey. Last July, a Mexican court imprisoned a cartel boss suspected of ordering the attack after the casino owners refused to pay protection money.
Codere, which dominates the Mexican casino industry along with a second firm, Caliente, supposedly was planning a $360 million joint venture with U.S.-based Hard Rock International to build a new resort casino in an unspecified Mexican region.
Obrador has also instructed the Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos (DGJS), the division of the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) that oversees gaming, to crack down on the industry. Shortly thereafter, federal police raided the WinClub casino in Baja California for allegedly operating without the proper permits. Police seized 36 slot machines, a number of gaming tables, computers and other evidence. Baja California Governor Jaime Bonilla warned illegal operators that he supports the crackdown and will seek out and punish those guilty of illicit activities.
