According to Miguel Angel Ochoa, the President of the Mexican Gaming Association (AIEJA), the Mexican casino boom will likely continue for several years, doubling volume before the end of 2018.

As Ochoa pointed out, even though the Casino Royale tragedy in 2011 had a negative impact on the industry growth, in Mexico there were currently 319 gaming properties and a total of 671 permits. The presidential term of Peña Nieto began in 2012 and ends in December, 2018.

The President of the AIEJA gave the statement regarding the number of casinos during the inauguration of the Institute for Research and Treatment of Pathological Gambling in the Muguerza hospital in Monterrey, according to a report on G3 Newswire. The establishment will offer free treatment to individuals that have a gambling problem.

In his speech he didn’t fail to mention that even though the gaming industry was controversial in Mexico, it wasn’t as bad for the society as locals tend to think. Ochoa highlighted that the industry attracted a lot of domestic and foreign investors as well as tourists. Additionally, the President said that the gaming industry was generating taxes for the government, plus it created jobs for the people.

According to the numbers he provided, the gaming industry was responsible for 38,000 direct jobs and almost 140,000 indirect jobs. Ochoa revealed that betting centres and slot parlous in the country were serving around three million visitors per year. In terms of number of casinos, Baja California tops the list with 43 properties and it’s followed by 33 casinos in Mexico City, 28 establishments in Sonora and 24 facilities in Jalisco. A total of 90,000 legal machines operate within Mexican borders.