According to official statistics, from September 2007 up to last August, the General Direction of Games and Draws, dependent on the Mexican Department of the Interior (Segob) authorized 994 licenses to make draws.

Besides, it issued 1,395 horce racing licenses and 3,184 for cock fights, as well as five series and 15 self-financing processes.

In the first report of this area, corresponding to the first semestre of the current government, 645 licenses have been granted for draws and 3,642 for games (2,738 of cock fights and 904 horse races).

This area, whose responsible is Abraham González Uyeda, Deputy Minister of the Department of Interior, was again in the center of attention, first because legislators of different parties have received reports on alleged authorization of new bingo licenses, and then because in recent days in was mentioned when manager of the National Education Workers Trade Union, Elba Esther Gordillo, declared that Hummer vans delivered to each one of the trade union sections will be drawn and so it had already started the corresponding papers before SEGOB.

SEGOB affirmed that in the period September 2007-August 2008 it did not issue new licenses for remote betting centres, horse racetracks, greyhound racetracks, etc. It received a request last September 17th, with regards to the version of officers of that entity, this was elaborated in a generic way, so it gave back all the documents and affirmed that the issuance of the license for the drawing of the vans could be delayed up to three months.

The general direction mentioned before is responsible for the compliance of the Federal Law of Games and Draws, as well as its ruling. It is also responsible for the issuance of licenses, complaints, claims and administrative procedures related to the result of the draws. It also imposes sanctions to the violation of the cited norms.

During that period, the government made 594 controls of remote betting centres, horse racetracks and greyhound racetracks, but it did not gave details on the level of controls performed.

This entity received, during the cited period, 104 complaints, of which 45 are “solved”. It also started 90 administrative reports for games and draws performed without permission, of which 63 were solved.

With regards to the fight of illegal gaming, supervisors of the government closed 2,259 slots in the mini-casino style, 128 professional machines and suspended five draws that did not have the necessary authorization.