Mexican Lawmaker Pushes Sweeping Daytime Ban on Betting and Casino Advertising

The proposal was submitted by Juan Ignacio Zavala Gutierrez and seeks to prohibit betting and casino advertising between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. across all media platforms. The restriction would apply to broadcast television, pay TV, and digital channels, including streaming services and social media platforms, during what the bill defines as “minor protection hours.”

Under the initiative, advertising would be banned in any programs, transmissions, spaces, or content that are either directed at or accessible to children and adolescents. The proposed framework establishes a daily 16-hour blackout window and does not distinguish between licensed and unlicensed gambling operators when applying advertising limitations. As written, the ban would be comprehensive, with no explicit exemptions for live sporting events or other programming traditionally associated with betting promotion.

To implement these measures, the bill proposes amendments to several key statutes: the Federal Law on Games and Drawings, the Federal Law on Telecommunications and Broadcasting, and the Federal Consumer Protection Law. According to the text, these changes are intended to modernize regulatory safeguards and better reflect the realities of contemporary media consumption, particularly in digital environments where minors are highly active.

The legislation has been formally referred to the Governance and Population Committee, the Radio and Television Committee, and the Economy, Commerce and Competitiveness Committee of the Chamber of Deputies for review. At this stage, no timetable has been announced for committee deliberations or a potential vote on the chamber floor.

The proposal comes amid broader concerns over Mexico’s gambling regulatory framework, which is still governed by the Federal Law on Games and Drawings enacted in 1947. While gambling operations are permitted through administrative authorizations, the growth of online betting has outpaced existing legislation, leading to uneven advertising practices—particularly across digital platforms.

Supporters of the initiative argue that the rapid expansion of online gambling marketing has increased the visibility of betting content in spaces frequented by minors, creating a need for stricter consumer protections. Critics, however, may question the lack of differentiation between legal and illegal operators and the absence of carve-outs for sports broadcasts.

For now, the proposal remains at the committee stage and would require approval in both chambers of Congress before becoming law. Nonetheless, its introduction adds momentum to ongoing legislative debates in Mexico surrounding gambling regulation, advertising standards, and consumer protection in the digital age.