New Mexico Gambling Laws – Legal Gambling in NM
We have all heard of the stories for the one and only Sin City – but today, we are off to an adventure in the Land of the Enchantment. In this guide, you will learn all about the New Mexico gambling laws. Plus, we have prepared you a list of the most popular land-based casinos in the state. Let’s begin our guide to gambling in New Mexico.
Here, we have prepared vital details about the gambling laws New Mexico has in place. We will tell you about the rules and regulations concerning land-based and online gambling in the state. Then, you will find out the legal gambling age in the Land of the Enchantment, followed by a brief history of the industry in the state. Lastly, we have prepared a list of all legal gambling games in New Mexico.
Gambling Laws New Mexico
Allow us to begin with a quick overview of the gambling situation in New Mexico. For starters, locals and visitors can play at the tribal New Mexico casinos in the state. Players must be 21 or older to enter the premises and play. That’s not all, though! Players can wager on horse races as long as they are over 18 years old. In addition to that, young adults can also buy lottery tickets.
In New Mexico, you can enjoy a wide variety of casino games at legal venues. For example, you can play a game of blackjack or roulette and even participate in poker tournaments. Of course, casinos offer slot machines for those who fancy simple yet exciting gameplay. Sadly, New Mexico gambling laws outlaw participation in betting activities online. However, you can still test your luck at the best USA casino sites in some states where online gambling is legal.
Casino Gambling Laws in New Mexico
As per the casino gambling laws in New Mexico, only venues that have obtained a gaming compact can legally operate in the state. Furthermore, any gambling activity is illegal unless exempt under state law. Currently, the vast majority of land-based casinos are tribal venues located in Native American reservations. There are also a couple of commercial gambling venues in New Mexico. Here are a few of the most popular casinos in the state:
- Casino Apache – Ruidoso, NM
- Camel Rock Casino – Santa Fe, NM
- Sandia Casino – Albuquerque, NM
- Zia Park Casino – Hobbs, NM
- Billy The Kid Casino – Ruidoso, NM
Some of the top casinos in the state are located in Santa Fe and Albuquerque because those are the largest cities in New Mexico. There are also a lot of gambling venues situated around the state borders. However, the best casinos in the USA are those on the Las Vegas Strip; nothing beats the world-class entertainment of Sin City. If you plan to travel to the gambling capital of the world, then make sure to check out our detailed review of the Las Vegas Strip map.
Online Gambling Laws in New Mexico
Now, let us take a closer look into the online gambling situation in the state. As per the gambling laws New Mexico follows at the moment, such activities are strictly prohibited and punishable by law. Since Federal law prohibits internet gambling, no local authorities can grant permission or licenses to operators.
Some might argue that online gambling is a grey area, but the New Mexico Gaming Control Board explicitly states that such activities are not permitted. Hence, we discourage you to play online while visiting New Mexico. On the bright side, there are states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania that have legalized online gambling, so we suggest you check out the best NJ online casinos and the PA online casinos sites.
Legal Gambling Age in New Mexico
As mentioned, the minimum gambling age in New Mexico varies. You must be 18 or over to participate in lotteries, raffles, and pari-mutual betting, like horse race betting. Locals and visitors must be at least 21 years old to enter a casino in the state and play roulette, blackjack, poker, slots, or other gambling games. We recommend you check our piece on the legal gambling age in the USA if you would like to visit multiple states as a young adult.
History of Gambling Laws in New Mexico
Today, you can enjoy a variety of gambling activities in New Mexico, but this was not always the case. From 1946 to the 1980s, horseracing was the only legal form of gambling allowed in the state. Things were going well until Texas legalized horse racing, and then New Mexico noted a decline in gambling revenue. At the time, the government was hesitant to legalize other forms of gambling like casinos.
In the meantime, tribal casinos were running games of chance that were technically not illegal. Governor Bruce King was in power at the time, and he was unwilling to negotiate compacts with the tribes. His opponent, the future Governor Gary Johnson, had ideas to expand the gambling industry in the reservations. In 1995, after Johnson was elected, more than a dozen tribes got a license to operate casinos in New Mexico. Here is a quick overview of the history of the gambling laws in New Mexico:
| ⌛ 1946 | The first state pari-mutual venue opens. |
| ⌛ 1987 | Texas legalizes horseracing, and NM’s industry declines. |
| ⌛ 1988 | The federal government passes the Indiana Gaming Regulatory Act |
| ⌛ 1995 | Governor Johnson signs a deal with a dozen Native American tribes to allow casinos. |
| ⌛ 1995 | The first New Mexico lottery is approved. |
| ⌛ 2000 | A new gaming pact is formed after the Attorney General sues the local tribes for not paying shared revenue. |
| ⌛ 2001 | Tribal State Class III Gaming compact is signed and approved. |
During the same year, the elected governor also approved the first state lottery as well as the Powerball. As you can see from the table above, there have been a few major changes in the gambling laws in New Mexico that have led to what we see today. In 2000, the Attorney General sued the local tribes for not paying shared revenue. As a result, the Tribal Class III was created and signed in 2001.
Types of Gambling in NM
Let us chat about the types of games that you can enjoy in New Mexico. As you know by now, horseracing is perfectly legal in the state, so we won’t really dig into that right now. Here, we will focus on the games that you can play at land-based casinos. Currently, players can take a seat a blackjack or roulette tables and play slot machines or poker. Here is a list of all legal casino games in New Mexico.
| Game Type | Legal |
|---|---|
| Slots | ✔️ Yes |
| Blackjack | ✔️ Yes |
| Poker | ✔️ Yes |
| Roulette | ✔️ Yes |
| Horse Racing | ✔️ Yes |
| Lottery | ✔️ Yes |
| Sports Betting | ✔️ Yes |
Furthermore, according to the New Mexico skill based gambling laws, only games of chance are permitted for charity purposes. In other words, players cannot play skill based casino games such as poker and blackjack to raise funds for a good cause. In New Mexico, lotteries, raffles, and bingo can be played for charity. If you are curious to learn more about the local laws in the US, we recommend you read our guide to the gambling laws by state.
Popular Questions About Gambling in NM
Hopefully, we have managed to address all your queries when it comes to gambling in NM. Continue reading below if you happen to have any more questions about the gambling laws in New Mexico because we have prepared answers to the most popular ones for your convenience.
