Sportsbook & Gambling Information

On-again, off-again casinos in Mexico


By Barnard R. Thompson



Mexican hold’em poker, to create an analogy apropos to casinos, would include the eccentricity of raising player’s and onlooker’s hopes to a fevered pitch and then — before anyone makes a final call, throwing in all the cards so that one and all could argue merits and morality and then start the vicious circle exercise anew, from the beginning. Kind of a combination of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Groundhog Day.



At least it seems that way after ten years of on-again, off-again debate in connection with the possible authorization of casinos in Mexico.



And it has happened again. Anew. Déjà vu.



While many expected a vote during the last session of Congress on the long-stalled gaming reforms — legislation that included consent to once again legalize casinos in Mexico, the bill never got out of two of the three responsible committees in the Chamber of Deputies. This partly a result of politics, partly due to a surge in opposition from some influential sectors as the matter neared debate and partly because of chronic foot-dragging.



Than, in late December and in an effort to keep gaming legislation issues alive until the Chamber reconvenes in ordinary session, Tourism Committee chairman Francisco Xavier López Mena (PAN, Quintana Roo) summarized matters.



The legalization and installation of casinos at Mexico’s main tourist destinations would bring some US$10 billion in investments to the nation, which would subsequently attract between US$624 million and US$892 million annually, according to López. Approximately 100,000 permanent jobs would be created.



Hence there is an urgent need to approve the new Federal Gaming with Wagers and Raffles Law. As such, a revitalized effort will be made to pass the Law during the next legislative session that will begin on February 1 and end April 30.



However the current draft of the Federal Gaming with Wagers and Raffles Law will probably be changed yet again.



López said Tourism Committee members have decided to reopen public input and discussion on the matter, with anyone interested being able to submit comments and assessments up to March 9. This is being done so that all those who have expressed opposition to casinos can submit their observations and studies on issues they feel have not been properly taken into account.



Over the past decade there have been a number of occasions when the subject of casinos has caused controversy and conflict in the Chamber of Deputies. Accordingly, “we are of the opinion that (casinos) must be authorized according to a system of strict control so that the risks, that certainly do exists, are minimized,” said López.



Complaints heard most frequently in recent months, often from staunch opponents of casinos, relate to anticipated increases in crime, prostitution and corruption; money laundering; compulsive gambling; and social and family degradation. Plus there are entrepreneurs who are apparently trying to protect their existing tourism interests.



With respect to crime, social and family problems, López said those issues are among the deputies’ greatest concerns. For that reason significant safeguards and obligations are being incorporated into the Law that casino owners and operators will have to meet.



“We went even further,” López stated. “We have proposed that when there is a casino in our country and it is shown that indices of crime, drug use or money laundering go up, authorities will have the power to closedown that casino.”



The casino related information received by March 9 will be studied and assessed by the committees involved. “We will examine everything we receive, so that if appropriate we can enrich the proposal that at this time is being analyzed by the Finance and Government Committees. In that way it can be submitted to all 500 deputies who would decide on this much debated subject before this legislature leaves office,” he said.



Following July 2006 elections, Mexico’s incoming congress will take office September 1.



However it is precisely those 2006 elections that may prove to be the nemesis of what López and his colleagues want to achieve.



Mexico’s legislative agenda is already being contaminated by the 2006 presidential race, and when the bleak congress reconvenes on February 1, 2005, that three-month period may be the last session during which already unproductive deputies might accomplish something. The second session, to begin September 1, will likely be just too conflictive as that is when the parties will be selecting their presidential candidates. And then come the campaigns and elections.



Still, if the casino issue is yet pending in late 2006 the never-ending cycle can just restart. Again.

Poker: What's the deal?
By Theresa Winslow, Staff Writer

Maybe it was the sunglasses. Or maybe it was skill. Or luck. Or some combination of the three.

Whatever the case, Adam had a hot streak going.

The piles of chips next to him kept getting higher and higher as he won hand after hand in the early stages of his steady poker game.

His fortune changed, though, and by the end of the night he didn't end up as well off.

But there's always next week.

"What I've learned is that it's better to start placing intimidating bets early, " Adam said. "People think you know what you're doing, or have good hands, or (you're) stupid."

Spurred by the popularity of high-stakes poker on TV cable channels, Adam and his friends, who are all in high school, have been meeting to play cards in Annapolis for about a year. Their game is decidedly low stakes ($5 gets you in), but there are hosts of other games around Annapolis and Anne Arundel County with higher buy-ins.

Poker has always had an underground following, but the television exposure has spawned new interest. It's not hard to find a game, but it is hard to get people to talk openly about it. After all, it's illegal to play for money.

"It's probably one of the most frequently broken laws in the state, but it's on the books," said Deputy State's Attorney William Roessler.

Adam and his friends and other local players only agreed to discuss poker if we didn't use their full names or divulge the exact location of their games.



Some of these regulars play with friends as often as four times a week as well as online. They have very different backgrounds, but share a genuine affection for the game. Interestingly, they all said it isn't the allure of money that attracts them, though it's certainly nice to win. Instead, they all like the camaraderie of their "guy's night out."

Many also said they like the mental challenge of trying to figure out what cards the other players are holding and what moves they're going to make. A couple compared the challenges of poker to chess.

"It's more about the interaction between the players that I enjoy," said Steve, an adult who got his start playing poker years ago in high school and college. "You start dealing with the elemental character in a person when you're gambling. I tend to get philosophical. When you're dealing with money and people, you truly find out about their character."

Hold 'em and fold 'em

Adam and his friends think clothing is an important part of their poker games, as much for fun as for strategy. Sunglasses shielded Adam's eyes from the others, so they couldn't read his expressions for hints about his hand. Nathan wore a mismatched ensemble of a plaid blazer, bright yellow shirt and checked pants, hoping to distract the others with its bad taste. Billy usually wears a cowboy hat, but on this night donned a simple baseball cap.

Another regular, who missed this game, usually wears a dapper suit, mirroring some of the professional players on television, his friends said.

"Any props are good," Billy said. "My cowboy hat helps me win."

With Counting Crows playing on the stereo, the friends all plunked down $5 for the pot, got stacks of chips in exchange, and began a little Texas Hold 'Em.

The banter was almost as constant as the cards being dealt.

"You're obnoxious!" Nathan told Adam with a big smile midway through the latter's winning streak.

"Who's winning?" Adam shot back.

After about an hour of Texas Hold 'Em, the group switched to another game, called Omaha, and then to another.

It's obvious they were having fun. In fact, in their list of favorite things, poker ranks just behind girls and movies.

"I'm one of the less serious ones," Nathan said. "I don't see it as life or death if I win big. So, if I lose big (it's no big deal).

"It's something to do. Around here, there's the mall, the Harbour Center, and that's about it. It's something different."

Billy's mom, Anne, who stopped by to watch, doesn't mind her son and the others gambling. It's only a little bit of money, and it's a lot more social than video games, she said. Anne has even joined in a couple of times, as have other parents.

"What I love is that they think it's 'out there,"' Anne said. "If it gives them a sense of wild and crazy for $5, that's OK."

Anne said she's watched poker on cable, but doesn't really understand the allure of the televised games.

Poker regulars said they like to watch because of the personalities of the professionals - and to pick up tips.

TV viewers are most often seeing Texas Hold 'Em, which is popular because it's fairly easy to learn.

"It's the hottest game out now," said Harold, a 25-year veteran of poker. "People play in these games who you wouldn't believe - doctors and lawyers."

It's in the cards

Mike doesn't really have a classic "poker face" when he plays.

Like Adam and his friends, he's always chatty, regardless of his hand.

Mike, from Annapolis, has been a poker aficionado for about three years and gets together with about 15 to 30 other men once a month to play.

"I like the excitement," he said. "(Texas Hold 'Em) is a game where you can risk all or win all in 30 seconds."

To become truly accomplished, he said, you have to "know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em," to borrow a phrase from country singer Kenny Rogers. "It takes a lot of practice."

And patience, and knowing how to bluff.

Steve said premium players read the cards as well as the other players.

"A great player will analyze his opponents and draw information from them about how they play and what makes them make certain decisions," he said. "It's like a good chess game."

Jim, who began playing poker years ago, now hones his skills at live games once a week. The poker nights usually last six or seven hours at a stretch.

"It's just enjoyable," he said.

Despite his experience, he said he's sometimes not aggressive enough at the table, and his play suffers because of it.

Regardless, he remains hooked.

"It's always fun to win," he said. "But you can also get a lot of satisfaction out of playing a good hand."