Lawmakers in Mexico are to examine tightening media rules to prohibit gambling advertising during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The directive is led by Jericó Abramo Masso, Member of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, who has drafted a bill which would severely limit operators’ flexibility around advertising, specifically during sporting events shown on open-source and pay-for TV.
According to Masso, an increasing number of complaints from parents report that their children are being subjected to gambling ads integrated into sports programming, which offer ‘falls narratives about gaining quick wealth’.
Under the current legislature, gambling ads need to first be approved by the Secretariat of Interior in order to air on TV, while also adhering to strict rules around the inclusion of problem gambling messaging and avoidance of promoting excessive participation.
However, Masso believes that rules should be tighter, with operators only allowed to market outside of family hours, meaning between 10:30 pm and 06:00 am. The politician is also seeking to extend this over to digital platforms as well, which he argues would add more protection for under-18s.
The bill is currently with the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies, pending Committee approval before it moves to Congress for final voting
World Cup.. Best Behaviour!
With the long-awaited 2026 FIFA World Cup mere months away, gambling operators will be dealing with the most profitable time of the year once the competition kicks off in June and July (11 Jun 2026 – 19 Jul 2026).
Marketing spend is already increasing across the world, which is also making regulators stay on their toes when it comes to balancing between enforcing player protection compliance and avoiding excessive restrictions.
Given that Mexico is one of the host countries together with the US and Canada – and will be home to the first World Cup game – local policymakers like Masso are naturally in a greater hurry to ensure that the rules are clear before tournament.
All matches up until 27 June have already been scheduled, with broadcasts in Mexico ranging from 12 pm to 00 am local time. If approved, Masso’s bill will give operators only a few advertising options to play around with, which in turn may or may not encourage smarter marketing.
Gambling orders in MORENA’s court
Preparing to host the World Cup 2026 as the biggest sporting event, the MORENA government was forced to admit that betting integrity liabilities were clearly visible under the near-century old The Federal Gaming and Lottery Law of 1947.
The interior agency of SEGOB begun working groups to review submissions to overhaul Mexico’s federal gambling laws. Yet the initiative was interrupted as President Claudia Sheinbaum initiated negotiations on new tax plan.
In the budget plan for 2026, the MORENA government approved an increasing the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) for gambling from 30% to 50% of gaming turnover. The aggressive hike forms as part of a broader suite of so-called “sin taxes on alcohol, tobacco, gambling and high sugar foods.
As stands MORENA cites that it will present a new bill to replace the 1947 statute by World Cup 2026 for congressional consideration – yet no update has been provided in 2026 thus far.