An upheaval of sorts could be in store for US online poker players who relocated to Mexico following Black Friday. According to iGaming Business, legislation could soon be passed in Mexico that would ring-fence that nation and could cause poker refugees to flee once more.

According to the news site, “Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies voted 297-32 in favor of the new regulations on Friday, with the bill now due to go to the Senate for approval. According to various reports, Ley Federal de Juegos con Apuesta y Sorteos, if approved, could see the Mexican online gaming market become a single-nation entity that is only serviced by a few providers… Regulation would stop Mexico from becoming a fully-participating member of a global player pool.”

Moving to Mexico was alluring for many US online poker pros because of its proximity to the US and the fact that players there can compete with their counterparts from around the world on a large selection of sites. Now, that might not be the case.

One official from Mexico told iGaming Business that transparencyis one of the main reasons for the new bill likely being passed: “With this law, now all Mexicans can know how many casinos are in Mexico, which permits have been granted, which are operational, who the owners are, and who the partners are.” The minimum online gambling age under the statute is 21.

Services like Poker Refugees have helped relocate hundreds of players to Mexico, many of whom have gravitated towards the Yucatan beach city of Playa del Carmen as well as locales on the Pacific coast.

FlushDraw predicted that Mexico, which has a population of 122 million people, would only be able to support a few online poker sites: “It is unlikely that the country could support more than a small handful of operators if it attempts to go solo and not allow its citizens to compete against players from other nations.” By comparison, France, which is also ring-fenced, has a population of 66 million.

We’ll keep you posted on the latest right here on PocketFives. Visit our Mexico poker community for the latest news and discussion from Mexico players.

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