States / New Mexico
New Mexico
- Gambling rests on tribal casinos, non-tribal racinos and clubs with slot machines, and the lottery and horse racing.
- Tribes have offered retail sports betting since October 2018 under existing compacts, with no state sports betting law.
- There is no mobile sports betting or iGaming, and the attorney general and tribes are suing Kalshi.
More detail
- Tribal gaming. Tribal Class III gaming runs at roughly 20+ casinos operated by a majority of the state's 23 federally recognized tribes and pueblos. They operate under Tribal-State Gaming Compacts (1997, with renewals and amendments in 2001, 2007 and 2015). The New Mexico Gaming Control Board oversees them on the state side.
- Non-tribal gaming. Non-tribal "gaming operators" include five racetrack "racinos" and licensed fraternal and veterans clubs and similar non-profit locations. The state's Gaming Control Act (60-2E NMSA 1978) authorizes them to run slot-style gaming machines, with no table games. They are taxed at a 24.8% gaming tax on net take.
- Lottery and racing. The New Mexico Lottery and pari-mutuel/simulcast horse racing run under their own statutes.
- Sports betting. Starting in October 2018 (Santa Ana Star Casino, Pueblo of Santa Ana), a number of tribes began offering retail sportsbooks without any specific state sports-wagering statute. They rely on the theory that sports wagering is already a "Class III" gaming activity authorized by their existing compacts. It remains retail-only and tribal-only. There is no statewide mobile/online sports betting and no non-tribal commercial sports betting.
- Online gaming. There is no igaming or online poker of any kind. The 2015 Compacts do not ban internet gaming outright. Section 17 instead provides that if internet gaming is ever authorized in the State, the State and each Tribe must reopen good-faith negotiations on compact adjustments.
- Pending legislation. Repeated bills to legalize statewide mobile sports betting, racino-to-casino conversion, and commercial igaming (2019, 2021, 2024, 2026 sessions) have all died in committee or failed to advance. So have bills to codify advance-deposit horse-race wagering (2019, 2021).
- Lottery couriers. A February 26, 2025 AG opinion concluded that DraftKings-owned lottery courier Jackpocket's app itself constitutes "internet gaming", triggering the Section 17 reopener. It also flagged likely violations of the Lottery Act's anti-markup and retailer-certificate provisions and the criminal bet-transmission-fee statute. Jackpocket exited New Mexico in March 2025.
- Fantasy sports. A December 23, 2025 AG opinion applied the Gaming Control Act's four-part "game" test to daily fantasy sports. It found the "private context" and "no one profits except through winnings" factors likely weigh against DFS's legality, without issuing a categorical ruling.
- Prediction markets. In mid-2026 the State sued prediction-market platform Kalshi over unlicensed sports-event-contract trading (AG lawsuit, Santa Fe First Judicial District Court, announced June 2026). Four tribes also sued Kalshi in a separate suit in May 2026: the Pueblos of Pojoaque, Sandia and Isleta and the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Polymarket then sued the AG and state gaming officials in federal court, seeking to head off similar enforcement against it.
Reviewed Oct 11, 2026 · 50 sources
Legal status
| Vertical | Status | Launched | Model | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports (online) | Not authorized | No statewide mobile/online sports-wagering statute exists; the Gaming Control Act does not cover sports wagering and no tribal compact provision for online/mobile sports betting was identified. The Wikipedia "legality of gambling types" table lists New Mexico's "Online" sports-betting column as "No."[1] | ||
| Sports (retail) | Limited | Oct 16, 2018 | Monopoly Tribal | No New Mexico statute specifically authorizes sports wagering. Beginning with Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel (Pueblo of Santa Ana/Tamaya Nation) in October 2018, tribal casinos began offering retail sportsbooks on the legal theory that sports wagering is a "Class III" gaming activity already covered by their existing tribal-state compacts; operator USBookmaking managed the first book. Multiple other tribal casinos (e.g., Inn of the Mountain Gods) later added sportsbooks. Retail/tribal-premises only; no mobile or online component and no non-tribal commercial sportsbooks. Wagers on New Mexico and New Mexico State University teams were excluded at the first sportsbook.[2],[1] |
| Online casino | Not authorized | Neither the Gaming Control Act (which licenses only land-based gaming machines/non-house- banked card games at fixed premises) nor the 2015 tribal compacts authorize online casino games. Compact Section 17 is not itself a ban: it provides that "[i]n the event that internet gaming is authorized within the State, the State and the Tribe agree that they will reopen good faith negotiations" on compact adjustments. A February 2025 AG opinion applied this reopener clause to a lottery-courier app, concluding that a phone-based "first step of playing" is sufficient to constitute "internet gaming" for Section 17 purposes -- a reading that, if extended, would treat most igaming as compact-impacting even though no NM statute affirmatively authorizes it.[3],[4],[5],[6] | ||
| Online poker | Not authorized | No statute authorizes online poker; the Gaming Control Act's "net take"/"gaming" definitions contemplate in-person play only. The 2015 tribal compacts don't ban internet gaming outright, but provide that if it is ever authorized, the State and each tribe must reopen compact negotiations; a 2025 AG opinion read that reopener broadly enough to cover a lottery-courier app's phone-based purchase step.[7],[5] | ||
| Commercial casinos | Live | Hybrid | Non-tribal gaming is split between five racetrack "racinos" (Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, Zia Park Casino Hotel & Racetrack, Ruidoso Downs/Billy the Kid Casino, SunRay Park & Casino, and the Downs at Albuquerque) and separately licensed non-racetrack "gaming operator" locations (fraternal/veterans clubs and similar), all limited by the Gaming Control Act to slot-style gaming machines; no table games at racinos. Act definitions distinguish "gaming operator," "gaming machine," and "net take"; tax and revenue- distribution rules are set out in 60-2E-47. 60-2E NMSA 1978 (Gaming Control Act) [8],[7],[4],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14] | |
| Tribal casinos | Live | 1997 | Monopoly Tribal | Roughly 20+ tribal Class III gaming facilities operate under compacts between the State of New Mexico and individual tribes/pueblos (e.g., Navajo Nation, Mescalero Apache, Jicarilla Apache, and most of the 19 Pueblos, including Isleta, Sandia, Santa Ana, Pojoaque, Ohkay Owingeh, Tesuque, San Felipe, Acoma and Laguna). Compacts were renegotiated/renewed in 2001, 2007 and again under the "2015 Compacts," which have been the subject of ongoing litigation over how revenue-sharing payments are calculated. The Pueblo of Jemez's 2015 Compact (BIA/DOI-published, Section 11(C)(2)) sets a tiered revenue-sharing schedule on "Adjusted Net Win" across three multi-year periods (2015-2018, 2018-2030, 2030-2037). Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact (1997, amended/renewed 2001, 2007, 2015) [15],[16],[8],[5]? |
| Lottery | Live | 1996 | Monopoly State | Created by legislation signed April 5, 1995 (Lottery Board of Directors appointed August 14, 1995; first CEO began work November 20, 1995); Powerball launched October 20, 1996. Current in-house draw games include Roadrunner Cash, Pick 3 Plus and Pick 4 Plus, plus scratchers; net proceeds benefit the Legislative Lottery Scholarship program. 6-24 NMSA 1978 (New Mexico Lottery Act) [17],[18],[19] |
| iLottery | Not authorized | The New Mexico Lottery's own website lists only retail draw games and scratchers, with no online ticket sales or e-instants product.[18] | ||
| Daily fantasy | Contested | Competitive | New Mexico has no dedicated DFS statute. DraftKings and FanDuel continue operating in New Mexico, but a December 23, 2025 AG opinion (requested by the Gaming Control Board chairman) applied the Gaming Control Act's four-part "game" definition (60-2E-3(O)) to DFS and found the "private context" and "no one profits except through winnings" prongs likely weigh against DFS being lawful, while declining to issue a categorical ruling and noting legality would turn on case-specific fact-finding or legislative clarification. The opinion is persuasive, not binding, and no enforcement action has followed it.[20],[21],[22] | |
| VGTs / VLTs | Limited | Hybrid | Non-racetrack "gaming operator" licensees (fraternal/veterans clubs and similar non-profit locations) may operate a limited number of slot-style "gaming machines" under the Gaming Control Act, functioning similarly to VGTs in other states. 60-2E NMSA 1978 (Gaming Control Act) [7],[4]? | |
| Historical horse racing | Not authorized | No New Mexico statute or Gaming Control Act provision authorizes historical horse racing (HHR) machines. The 2015 tribal compacts' Section 11(D)(2) exhaustively lists the only forms of non- tribal Class III gaming the State may permit without triggering compact-wide consequences -- state lottery, fraternal/veterans-organization machines, limited nonprofit fundraising, and licensed-racetrack pari-mutuel wagering plus a capped number of racetrack gaming machines -- and does not mention HHR.[7],[5] | ||
| Sweepstakes casinos | Contested | No New Mexico statute, bill, or public AG/Gaming Control Board cease-and-desist action naming a specific sweepstakes-casino operator was identified, and New Mexico is not listed among the states that have enacted sweepstakes-casino bans. However, secondary sources conflict on the regulator's position: one industry tracker states the New Mexico Gaming Control Board (NMGCB) classifies sweepstakes platforms as illegal online gambling under NMSA § 30-19-2 (as of a May 2026 characterization), while not licensing, authorizing, or regulating them and recording no enforcement against individual players; another secondary source states flatly that New Mexico law does not address sweepstakes casinos and that the state has not challenged the model, with all major brands remaining active. Given this direct conflict about the regulator's own stated position, this is marked contested rather than not_authorized.[23],[24],[25]? | ||
| Prediction markets | Contested | In May 2026 the Pueblos of Pojoaque, Sandia and Isleta and the Mescalero Apache Tribe sued Kalshi in federal court alleging its sports-event contracts enable unlicensed sports gambling on/affecting tribal gaming markets. In June 2026 (announced ~June 4) NM AG Raul Torrez sued Kalshi in the First Judicial District Court (Santa Fe), alleging Kalshi operates an unlicensed sportsbook outside the tribal-compact/state-licensing framework that is the state's only lawful path to gaming, and citing a 2025 survey finding 3.9% of NM adults screened positive for problem gambling (vs. ~1% nationally). Kalshi maintains it offers federally regulated event contracts, not gambling, and has not sought a NM sportsbook license. Polymarket separately sued AG Torrez and state gaming officials in federal court seeking to preempt similar enforcement against it. Neither New Mexico case has yet been ruled on. New Mexico sits in the Tenth Circuit, which (unlike the pro-Kalshi Third Circuit [NJ, Apr. 2026] or the anti-Kalshi Sixth Circuit [Sept. 2026] and Ninth Circuit [Nev., Aug. 2026]) had not itself ruled on Kalshi/CFTC-preemption exchange-trading litigation as of Oct. 2026 -- making New Mexico's own AG/tribal suits the most direct active litigation on point.[26],[27],[28],[29] | ||
| Skill games | Prohibited | New Mexico Administrative Code 15.1.22.7 defines a "gaming machine" to include any coin/payment-activated device that, for consideration, affords a chance at anything of value "the award of which is determined by chance, even though accompanied by some skill" -- an unlicensed such device is an "illegal gaming machine" subject to seizure and forfeiture under the Gaming Control Act and NMSA § 30-19-10. The rule's narrow "amusement device" exemption (15.1.22.7(B), 15.1.22.8) covers only machines offering free replays (no cash/credit payout), requiring continuous player control for the whole game and no credit meter; Pace-O-Matic-style "skill game"/grey machines that pay cash or credits do not qualify for that exemption and are therefore treated as illegal unlicensed gaming machines outside licensed venues. (State ex rel. NM Gaming Control Board v. Ten Gaming Devices, 2005-NMCA-117, addressed forfeiture of slot-type machines in a private home and found them not subject to forfeiture on those facts, but did not create a commercial skill-game carve-out.)[30],[31] | ||
| Card rooms | Not authorized | No freestanding card-room statute was identified; non-house-banked card games exist only within licensed tribal or Gaming Control Act premises, not as standalone card rooms.[3] | ||
| Lottery couriers | Not authorized | Jackpocket (DraftKings) operated under a 2022 MOU with the NM Lottery Authority until a February 26, 2025 AG opinion (requested by the Governor and several Pueblo/tribal governors) concluded Jackpocket's app constitutes "internet gaming" triggering the 2015 Compacts' Section 17 reopener, likely violates the Lottery Act's anti-markup rule (6-24-15(A)) and retailer-certificate requirement (6-24-14(A), 6-24-32(A)) absent Lottery CEO authorization, and likely violates the criminal bet-transmission-fee statute (30-19-15) if the lottery is treated as pari-mutuel. Jackpocket suspended New Mexico operations in March 2025. The opinion is persuasive, not binding, and no lottery-courier-specific statute or Lottery Authority rule was independently identified; couriers are therefore unauthorized in practice rather than under an express statutory ban.[6],[19],[32] | ||
| Pick'em fantasy | Contested | Competitive | No New Mexico-specific statute or guidance distinguishes player-vs-house "pick'em" formats from traditional season-long/salary-cap DFS; the December 2025 AG opinion's four-factor "game" definition analysis for DFS generally was not framed around any particular format and would likely apply similarly to pick'em products.[22] | |
| Pari-mutuel | Live | Hybrid | Licensed racetracks (class A and class B) conduct pari-mutuel wagering with statutory retainage percentages and distributions to horse breeders'/horsemen's associations; intrastate and interstate simulcast wagering is expressly authorized and funded through retainage deductions. 60-1A NMSA 1978 (Horse Racing Act) [33],[34],[35],[36] | |
| Advance deposit wagering | Not authorized | The enacted Horse Racing Act definitions section reviewed (60-1A-2, subsections A-KK) defines "simulcast" but contains no "advance deposit wagering" term. Bills to add ADW (defining it as pari-mutuel wagering via a pre-funded account, not "gambling" under 30-19-2/-3, and directing Racing Commission rules for third-party technology providers) were introduced repeatedly -- HB636/SB564 (2019 session) and HB199/SB362 (2021 session) -- but none is reflected in the current enacted statute, indicating all failed to pass.[35],[37] | ||
| Charitable gaming | Live | Purpose section states the Act exists "to authorize and regulate certain games of chance" conducted "by licensed nonprofit organizations" (bingo and raffles). 60-2F NMSA 1978 (New Mexico Bingo and Raffle Act) [38] | ||
| Esports betting | Not authorized | No statute authorizes wagering on esports specifically; same absence of any sports-wagering statute applies as for sports_online.[1] | ||
| Social casino | Live | Free-to-play, no-prize-redemption social casino apps are not known to be restricted; New Mexico's criminal "bet" definition (30-19-1 NMSA 1978) requires an agreement where parties "agree that, dependent upon chance...the other party will become entitled to receive" money or property, which free-to-play social casino play does not involve.[21] |
Sports betting in New Mexico: status, tax rate, sportsbooks and bills →
Tax rates
| Vertical | Channel | Rate | Base | Tier | Promos deductible | Since | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial casinos | retail | 24.8% 24.8% excise "gaming tax" on net take for most non-tribal gaming operators (racetrack and non-racetrack); manufacturers/distributors are taxed separately at 10% of gross receipts. This tax is imposed in lieu of state/local gross receipts tax on gaming receipts. Racetrack licensees must direct portions of net take to horse purses and jockey insurance/compliance; nonprofit operators must direct part of remaining net take to charitable/educational purposes. The 24.8% rate is a temporary reduction enacted by SB336 (Laws 2023), which a Legislative Finance Committee fiscal analysis describes as reverting to 26% effective 2027-07-01 (a scheduled 1.2-percentage-point increase) unless further legislation intervenes. A 2024 bill (HB159) to cancel that scheduled increase was postponed indefinitely by committee on 2024-01-29, so the reversion to 26% remains scheduled to take effect. | NET_REVENUE | 2023 | 60-2E-47 NMSA 1978, as amended by Laws 2023, c. 122 (SB336)[4],[39]? | ||
| Tribal casinos | retail | 2% 2% of the first $6 million of Adjusted Net Win | NET_REVENUE | $0–$6.0M | Jul 1, 2018 | 2015 Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact, Section 11(C)(2)[5] | |
| Tribal casinos | retail | 8.75% 8.75% on Adjusted Net Win above the first $6 million, for Annual Adjusted Net Win under $20 million | NET_REVENUE | $6.0M–$20.0M | Jul 1, 2018 | 2015 Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact, Section 11(C)(2)[5] | |
| Tribal casinos | retail | 8.75% | NET_REVENUE | $20.0M–$40.0M | Jul 1, 2018 | 2015 Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact, Section 11(C)(2)[5] | |
| Tribal casinos | retail | 9.5% | NET_REVENUE | $40.0M–$80.0M | Jul 1, 2018 | 2015 Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact, Section 11(C)(2)[5] | |
| Tribal casinos | retail | 10% 10.00% of Adjusted Net Win above $80 million | NET_REVENUE | $80.0M–∞ | Jul 1, 2018 | 2015 Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact, Section 11(C)(2)[5] | |
| Sports (retail) | retail | No New Mexico statute specifically authorizes or taxes sports wagering; tribal casinos (e.g. Santa Ana Star Casino since Oct. 2018) offer retail sportsbooks on the theory that sports wagering is already a Class III gaming activity covered by their existing tribal- state compacts. Sports-wagering revenue is therefore not separately taxed: it falls within the same compact-based "Adjusted Net Win" revenue-sharing schedule that applies to tribal casino gaming generally, under the tiered schedule in the Pueblo of Jemez 2015 compact, not a standalone sports-wagering tax. | OTHER | No | Oct 2018 | Individual tribal-state Class III gaming compacts (e.g. nm-2015-compact-jemez)[5] | |
| VGTs / VLTs | retail | 24.8% Same 24.8% excise "gaming tax" on net take that applies to racetrack casino gaming; 60-2E-47 NMSA 1978 taxes "non-tribal gaming operators" generally, which the Gaming Control Act (60-2E NMSA 1978) defines to include both racetrack licensees and the non-racetrack "gaming operator" licensees (fraternal/veterans clubs) that run these slot-style video gaming machines; there is no separate, lower statutory rate for the non-racetrack locations. | NET_REVENUE | 2023 | 60-2E-47 NMSA 1978, as amended by Laws 2023, c. 122 (SB336)[4],[39] |
Scheduled rates (not yet effective)
- Commercial casinos (retail): 26% NET_REVENUE from Jul 1, 2027[39]
- Tribal casinos (retail): 2% NET_REVENUE from Jul 1, 2030[5]
- Tribal casinos (retail): 9.5% NET_REVENUE from Jul 1, 2030[5]
- Tribal casinos (retail): 9.5% NET_REVENUE from Jul 1, 2030[5]
- Tribal casinos (retail): 10.25% NET_REVENUE from Jul 1, 2030[5]
- Tribal casinos (retail): 10.75% NET_REVENUE from Jul 1, 2030[5]?
- VGTs / VLTs (retail): 26% NET_REVENUE from Jul 1, 2027[39]
Historical rates
| Vertical | Rate | Base | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tribal casinos · retail | 2% | NET_REVENUE | Jul 1, 2015 – Jun 30, 2018 | [5] |
| Tribal casinos · retail | 8.5% | NET_REVENUE | Jul 1, 2015 – Jun 30, 2018 | [5] |
| Tribal casinos · retail | 8.5% | NET_REVENUE | Jul 1, 2015 – Jun 30, 2018 | [5] |
| Tribal casinos · retail | 9% | NET_REVENUE | Jul 1, 2015 – Jun 30, 2018 | [5] |
| Tribal casinos · retail | 9% | NET_REVENUE | Jul 1, 2015 – Jun 30, 2018 | [5] |
Rules and requirements
Casinos
- Number of commercial casinos/racinos operating
- 5Five racetrack "racinos" -- Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, Zia Park Casino Hotel & Racetrack, Ruidoso Downs/Billy the Kid Casino, SunRay Park & Casino, and the Downs at Albuquerque.[8]
- Number of tribal gaming facilities
- 22Secondary casino-directory count of named New Mexico tribal gaming facilities (including two closed properties, Palace West and Camel Rock); actual operating count may differ slightly. Treat as approximate, not an official regulator figure.[9]
Legislation
- Summary of significant pending gambling legislation this session
- No sports-betting, igaming, or ADW-expansion bill is currently pending; the 2026 Regular Session adjourned without enacting any. Recurring bill types that have failed in 2019-2024 include: statewide mobile/retail sports-betting authorization, racino-to-casino conversion, advance deposit wagering codification (2019, 2021), and cancellation of the scheduled 2027 gaming-tax rate increase (HB159, 2024, died). Watch the 2027 legislative session, when the 60-2E-47 rate reversion from 24.8% to 26% is scheduled to take effect absent further action.[39],[37]
Minimum age
- Minimum age to gamble in a commercial casino
- 21Secondary-source casino directory states "Minimum age for casinos is 21 years old."[9]
- Minimum age for charitable bingo/raffles
- 18[9]
- Minimum age to purchase lottery
- 186-24-32(A) NMSA 1978 makes it unlawful to sell a lottery ticket to a person "under eighteen years of age."[41]
- Minimum age for pari-mutuel wagering
- 18Secondary source states pari-mutuel/bingo wagering is "open to 18-year-olds."[9]
- Minimum age to place a sports wager
- 21Secondary-source casino directory separately lists 21 as the minimum gambling age for sports betting, consistent with the casino-floor age at the tribal casinos where sportsbooks operate.[9]
- Typical minimum age at tribal casinos (per compact)
- 21Same secondary source applies the 21 minimum to New Mexico casinos generally, without distinguishing tribal from racino.[9]
Notes
- Free-text notes that fit no other field
- New Mexico's general commercial-gambling crime statute (30-19-3 NMSA 1978) makes commercial gambling a fourth-degree felony; the companion definitions section (30-19-1) excludes from "bet" both "prizes in bona fide skill contests" and wagering "otherwise permitted by law," and excludes the state lottery and Gaming Control Act-licensed games from the "lottery" definition -- the statutory backdrop against which unauthorized verticals (igaming, online poker, esports betting, etc.) are presumptively prohibited absent specific authorization.[21],[27]
Prediction markets
- Summary of the state's action against sports event contracts (C&D
- Suit: NM AG Raul Torrez sued Kalshi (Santa Fe First Judicial District Court, announced ~June 4, 2026) alleging an unlicensed sportsbook; separately, four tribes sued Kalshi in federal court (May 2026).Polymarket separately sued AG Torrez and state gaming officials in federal court, seeking to head off similar enforcement against it.[28],[29]
Sports betting rules
- Wagering on in-state college teams allowed
- NoAt the first tribal sportsbook (Santa Ana Star, 2018), bets on New Mexico and New Mexico State University teams were not accepted.[2]?
- Esports wagering allowed
- NoNo statute authorizes esports wagering; the same absence of any state sports-wagering framework applies here as to sports generally.[1]
- Online sports wagering available statewide (not tethered to premises)
- NoNo statute authorizes online/mobile sports wagering statewide; tribal sportsbooks are retail/on-premises only.[2],[1]
Sweepstakes
- Statute or regulator action specifically bans dual-currency online sweepstakes casinos
- NoNo New Mexico-specific statute or regulatory ban on sweepstakes casinos has been identified, though secondary sources disagree on whether the Gaming Control Board treats the platforms as already illegal.[25]
Tax revenue
- Uses that commercial-casino and iGaming tax revenue is directed to by law, largest share first where the law sets shares
- general_fund, horse_racing, education, other[4],[5]?
- Where gaming tax revenue goes (education fund
- Lottery net proceeds fund the Legislative Lottery Scholarship program; racetrack gaming-tax distributions fund horse purses and jockey insurance/compliance costs; nonprofit gaming-operator licensees must direct part of remaining net take to charitable/educational purposes.[18],[4]
- Uses that sports-wagering tax revenue is directed to by law, largest share first where the law sets shares
- general_fundTribal sports wagering has no separate tax; it is covered by the same compact revenue-sharing payments as tribal casino gaming generally, which go to the State General Fund.[5]
Lottery
- Status
- Live · Monopoly State[17],[18],[19]
Notes
Created by legislation signed April 5, 1995 (Lottery Board of Directors appointed August 14, 1995; first CEO began work November 20, 1995); Powerball launched October 20, 1996. Current in-house draw games include Roadrunner Cash, Pick 3 Plus and Pick 4 Plus, plus scratchers; net proceeds benefit the Legislative Lottery Scholarship program. - Authorized
- Apr 5, 19956-24 NMSA 1978 (New Mexico Lottery Act)
- First tickets sold
- 1996
- Run by
- New Mexico Lottery Authority
- Minimum age
- 18[41]
- Multistate games
- Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America[18]
- Where the money goes
- Net lottery proceeds fund the Legislative Lottery Scholarship program, which since 1996 has helped more than 161,000 students attend New Mexico public colleges, universities and technical colleges; the Lottery's site states "part of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets benefits New Mexico's future."[40],[18]
- Online sales (iLottery)
- Not authorizedThe New Mexico Lottery's own website lists only retail draw games and scratchers, with no online ticket sales or e-instants product.[18]
- Courier services
- Not authorized[6],[19],[32]
Notes
Jackpocket (DraftKings) operated under a 2022 MOU with the NM Lottery Authority until a February 26, 2025 AG opinion (requested by the Governor and several Pueblo/tribal governors) concluded Jackpocket's app constitutes "internet gaming" triggering the 2015 Compacts' Section 17 reopener, likely violates the Lottery Act's anti-markup rule (6-24-15(A)) and retailer-certificate requirement (6-24-14(A), 6-24-32(A)) absent Lottery CEO authorization, and likely violates the criminal bet-transmission-fee statute (30-19-15) if the lottery is treated as pari-mutuel. Jackpocket suspended New Mexico operations in March 2025. The opinion is persuasive, not binding, and no lottery-courier-specific statute or Lottery Authority rule was independently identified; couriers are therefore unauthorized in practice rather than under an express statutory ban.
Online sports betting, online casino and online poker have not been legalized.
Yearly figures
| Fiscal year | Sales | Prizes | Administration | Kept by the state | Prize share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | $170M | $93.6M | $14.4M | $62.2M | 55% |
| FY2023 | $168M | $91.9M | $15.0M | $61.6M | 55% |
| FY2022 | $137M | $74.1M | $12.4M | $50.3M | 54% |
| FY2021 | $155M | $84.8M | $12.6M | $57.5M | 55% |
| FY2020 | $127M | $68.3M | $11.9M | $38.5M | 54% |
| FY2019 | $134M | $77.0M | $12.3M | $45.0M | 57% |
| FY2018 | $125M | $73.1M | $8.5M | $43.7M | 58% |
| FY2017 | $118M | $67.2M | $8.6M | $42.1M | 57% |
| FY2016 | $154M | $84.8M | $21.6M | $48.0M | 55% |
| FY2015 | $137M | $75.6M | $20.4M | $41.0M | 55% |
| FY2014 | $136M | $74.1M | $20.4M | $41.5M | 54% |
| FY2013 | $139M | $79.5M | $18.3M | $41.4M | 57% |
| FY2012 | $115M | $74.9M | $5.0M | $34.7M | 65% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Finances
Lottery timeline
- Mar 2025 · Restricted · Lottery couriersJackpocket suspends New Mexico lottery-courier operations following the adverse AG opinion[32]
- Feb 26, 2025 · Other · Lottery couriersNM AG Opinion 2025-07 concludes DraftKings-owned lottery courier Jackpocket's app constitutes "internet gaming" triggering the 2015 Compacts' Section 17 reopener, and likely violates Lottery Act anti-markup/retailer-certificate provisions and the criminal bet-transmission-fee statute[6]
- 1996 · Launched · LotteryNew Mexico Lottery begins ticket sales (exact first-sale date not stated in sources reviewed; a first $6.2 million net-profit distribution to the State was made Aug. 1, 1996, indicating sales were already underway, and Powerball launched Oct. 20, 1996)[17]
- Apr 5, 1995 · Legalized · LotteryGovernor Gary Johnson signs the New Mexico Lottery Act, creating the Lottery Authority[17],[19]
Casinos
27 properties open.
| Property | Type | City | Operator | Opened | Slots | Tables | Sportsbook | Hotel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy the Kid Casino Also known as Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Casino. [45] | Racino | Ruidoso | ||||||
| Downs at Albuquerque[45] | Racino | Albuquerque | ||||||
| Sun Ray Park & Casino[45] | Racino | Farmington | ||||||
| Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino[45] | Racino | Sunland Park | ||||||
| Zia Park Casino, Hotel & Racetrack[45] | Racino | Hobbs | Yes | |||||
| Apache Nugget Casino[45],[46] | Tribal casino | Cuba | Jicarilla Apache Nation | |||||
| Buffalo Thunder Casino and Resort[45],[47] | Tribal casino | Pojoaque Pueblo | Pueblo of Pojoaque | |||||
| Casino Apache Travel Center[45]? | Tribal casino | Mescalero | Mescalero Apache Tribe | |||||
| Casino Hollywood[45] | Tribal casino | San Felipe | Pueblo of San Felipe | |||||
| Cities of Gold Casino[45],[47] | Tribal casino | Pojoaque Pueblo | Pueblo of Pojoaque | |||||
| Dancing Eagle Casino[45]? | Tribal casino | Casa Blanca | ||||||
| Fire Rock Navajo Casino[45] | Tribal casino | Church Rock | Navajo Nation | |||||
| Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino[45]? | Tribal casino | Mescalero | Mescalero Apache Tribe | Yes | ||||
| Isleta Resort & Casino[45],[48] | Tribal casino | Isleta Pueblo | Pueblo of Isleta | |||||
| Kicks 66 A travel center and convenience store with a small gaming area, not a resort-style casino floor. [45]? | Tribal casino | Santa Fe | ||||||
| Northern Edge Navajo Casino[45]? | Tribal casino | Fruitland | Navajo Nation | |||||
| Ohkay Casino Resort[45] | Tribal casino | San Juan Pueblo | Ohkay Owingeh | |||||
| Palace West[45] | Tribal casino | Isleta | Pueblo of Isleta | |||||
| Route 66 Casino[45] | Tribal casino | Laguna Pueblo | Pueblo of Laguna | |||||
| Route 66 Casino Express[45] | Tribal casino | Laguna Pueblo | Pueblo of Laguna | 120 | ||||
| Sandia Resort and Casino[45] | Tribal casino | Sandia Pueblo | Pueblo of Sandia | |||||
| Santa Ana Star Casino[45] | Tribal casino | Santa Ana Pueblo | Pueblo of Santa Ana | |||||
| Santa Claran Hotel & Casino[45],[49]? | Tribal casino | Espanola | Ohkay Owingeh | Yes | ||||
| Sky City Casino[45],[50] | Tribal casino | Acoma | Pueblo of Acoma | |||||
| Taos Mountain Casino[45] | Tribal casino | Taos | Pueblo of Taos | |||||
| Tesuque Casino[45] | Tribal casino | Tesuque Pueblo | Pueblo of Tesuque | |||||
| Wild Horse Casino Also known as the Best Western Jicarilla Inn and Casino. [45],[46] | Tribal casino | Dulce | Jicarilla Apache Nation | Yes |
Tribal gaming
- Compact notices in the Federal Register
- 58 · first notice Mar 22, 1995, latest Oct 26, 2017
Tribal gaming revenue in the NIGC Phoenix Region
The National Indian Gaming Commission reports revenue only by region. This region also includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada. The region covers southern Nevada only.[44]
Compact notices
| Published | Tribe | Notice | Federal Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2017 | Pueblo of Pojoaque | Compact approved | 82 FR 49654 |
| Dec 30, 2016 | Pueblo of Santa Ana | Compact approved | 81 FR 96477 |
| Apr 4, 2016 | Pueblo of Sandia | Compact approved | 81 FR 19235 |
| Apr 4, 2016 | Pueblo of San Felipe | Compact approved | 81 FR 19236 |
| Dec 29, 2015 | Pueblo of Nambe | Compact approved | 80 FR 81352 |
| Oct 23, 2015 | Pueblo of Tesuque | Compact approved | 80 FR 64443 |
| Oct 23, 2015 | Pueblo of Santa Clara | Compact approved | 80 FR 64443 |
| Oct 23, 2015 | Pueblo of Laguna | Compact approved | 80 FR 64442 |
| Aug 14, 2015 | Pueblo of Zuni | Compact approved | 80 FR 48910 |
| Aug 13, 2015 | Ohkay Owingeh | Compact approved | 80 FR 48559 |
| Jul 29, 2015 | Pueblo of Taos | Compact approved | 80 FR 45230 |
| Jul 28, 2015 | Pueblo of Isleta | Compact approved | 80 FR 44992 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | Navajo Nation | Compact approved | 80 FR 35668 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | Pueblo of Acoma | Compact approved | 80 FR 35668 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | Pueblo of Jemez | Compact approved | 80 FR 35668 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation | Compact approved | 80 FR 35668 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | Jicarilla Apache Nation | Compact approved | 80 FR 35668 |
| Oct 15, 2007 | Pueblo of Laguna | Compact approved | 72 FR 58333 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Tesuque | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Taos | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Santa Ana | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Sandia | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of San Felipe | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Picuris | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Nambe | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Pueblo of Isleta | Compact approved | 72 FR 36717 |
| Aug 25, 2005 | Pueblo of Pojoaque | Compact approved | 70 FR 49942 |
| Aug 5, 2004 | Mescalero Apache Tribe | Compact approved | 69 FR 47459 |
| Jan 16, 2004 | Navajo Nation | Compact approved | 69 FR 2617 |
| Feb 8, 2002 | Pueblo of Nambe | Compact approved | 67 FR 6050 |
| Jan 15, 2002 | Jicarilla Apache Nation | Compact approved | 67 FR 1981 |
| Dec 20, 2001 | Pueblo of Taos | Compact approved | 66 FR 65740 |
| Dec 14, 2001 | Pueblos of Tesuque and San Felipe | Compact approved | 66 FR 64856 |
| Dec 14, 2001 | Pueblo of Santa Clara and Acoma | Compact approved | 66 FR 64856 |
| Dec 14, 2001 | Pueblo of Santa Ana | Compact approved | 66 FR 64856 |
| Dec 14, 2001 | Pueblo of Sandia | Compact approved | 66 FR 64856 |
| Dec 14, 2001 | Pueblo of San Juan | Compact approved | 66 FR 64856 |
| Dec 14, 2001 | Pueblo of Laguna | Compact approved | 66 FR 64856 |
| Dec 14, 2001 | Pueblo of Isleta | Compact approved | 66 FR 64856 |
| Nov 5, 1997 | Pueblo of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe | Compact took effect without action | 62 FR 59878 |
| Nov 5, 1997 | Pueblo of Santa Ana | Compact took effect without action | 62 FR 59878 |
| Nov 5, 1997 | Pueblo of Picuris | Compact took effect without action | 62 FR 59878 |
| Oct 15, 1997 | Pueblo of San Juan | Compact took effect without action | 62 FR 53650 |
| Aug 29, 1997 | following Tribe/ Pueblos | Compact took effect without action | 62 FR 45867 |
| Jun 12, 1995 | Pueblo of San Ildefonso of New Mexico | Compact approved | 60 FR 31042 |
| May 15, 1995 | Pueblo of Nambe | Compact approved | 60 FR 25978 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of Tesuque | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of Taos | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of Santa Clara | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of Santa Ana | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of Sandia | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of San Juan | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of San Felipe | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pueblo of Isleta | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Pojoaque Pueblo | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Mescalero Apache Tribe | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
| Mar 22, 1995 | Jicarilla Apache Tribe | Compact approved | 60 FR 15194 |
The Interior Department publishes a notice when a compact or amendment is approved or takes effect. Older compacts published before 1994 are not included.
Problem gambling
- Name and terms of the statewide self-exclusion program
- Statewide self-exclusion program required by the 2015 tribal compacts, Section 4(F)(2): State Gaming Representative maintains a list of persons voluntarily excluding themselves from all Gaming Facilities statewide; tribes must train staff to identify and remove self-excluded persons, purge them from marketing/players'-club lists, and require forfeiture of winnings, credits, tokens or vouchers received while excluded (forfeited amounts fund problem-gambling treatment/assistance programs). The list is confidential, not open to public inspection.[5]
Economy
- Adults 21 and over
- 1.6M (2024; 2.1M residents)
- Gambling taxes collected
- $70.2M in FY2025 · 0.47% of all state taxes
- Gambling jobs
- 7,280 in 2025 · $47,770 average annual payUndercount: the Bureau of Labor Statistics withholds some figures to protect individual employers.
Census Bureau tax collections on amusements and pari-mutuel wagering. Most states book casino, sports betting and video gaming taxes here; amusement taxes can also include admissions taxes unrelated to gambling. Lottery proceeds are what the lottery transfers to the state after prizes and costs.
Casinos, casino hotels, card rooms, bingo halls, off-track betting and slot-route operators, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Racetracks are not included. Jobs at tribal casinos are counted as government jobs.
Gambling jobs by industry, 2025
| Industry | Ownership | Employers | Jobs | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gambling industries | tribal and other government-owned | 10 | 1,451 | $57,370 |
| Gambling industries | privately owned | 28 | 922 | $46,750 |
| Casino hotels | tribal and other government-owned | 10 | 4,907 | $45,128 |
| Casino hotels | privately owned | withheld |
Taxes by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Amusement taxes | Pari-mutuel taxes | Share of state taxes | Lottery proceeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $68.6M | $1.6M | 0.47% | — |
| FY2024 | $68.4M | $1.3M | 0.49% | $62.2M |
| FY2023 | $68.6M | $952K | 0.48% | $61.6M |
| FY2022 | $71.5M | $1.2M | 0.59% | $50.3M |
| FY2021 | $70.4M | $1.1M | 0.95% | $57.5M |
| FY2020 | $73.2M | $1.0M | 1.03% | $38.5M |
| FY2019 | $71.8M | $842K | 0.98% | $45.0M |
| FY2018 | $69.5M | $842K | 1.27% | $43.7M |
| FY2017 | $61.2M | $842K | 1.16% | $42.1M |
| FY2016 | $73.7M | $1.3M | 1.40% | $48.0M |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, States (NST-EST2025-ALLDATA); U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC): Historical Dataset; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 7132 (Gambling industries)
Timeline
- Jul 1, 2027 · Tax Change · Commercial casinosGaming Control Act's 60-2E-47 net-take gaming tax rate is scheduled to revert from 24.8% to 26% (SB336's temporary reduction expires; HB159, which would have cancelled this, died in 2024)[39]Laws 2023, c. 122 (SB336); Legislative Finance Committee fiscal analysis of HB159 (2024)
- Jun 2026 · Enforcement Action · Prediction marketsNM AG Raul Torrez sues Kalshi in Santa Fe First Judicial District Court, alleging an unlicensed sportsbook operating outside the tribal-compact/state-licensing framework; complaint cites a 2025 survey finding 3.9% of NM adults screened positive for problem gambling[28]Covers.com (Jun. 5, 2026); g3newswire.com
- May 2026 · Other · Prediction marketsPueblos of Pojoaque, Sandia and Isleta and the Mescalero Apache Tribe sue Kalshi in federal court alleging its sports-event contracts enable unlicensed sports gambling affecting tribal gaming[29]Reported by thelines.com (Jun. 6, 2026) and fow.com
- Dec 23, 2025 · Other · Daily fantasyNM AG Opinion 2025-17 applies the Gaming Control Act's four-part "game" definition (60-2E-3(O)) to daily fantasy sports, finding the private-context and no-one-profits-except-through-winnings prongs likely weigh against DFS legality, without a categorical ruling[22]New Mexico Attorney General Opinion No. 2025-17 (Dec. 23, 2025), requested by Gaming Control Board chairman Patrick Garrett
- Mar 2025 · Restricted · Lottery couriersJackpocket suspends New Mexico lottery-courier operations following the adverse AG opinion[32]DraftKings/Jackpocket statement reported by sbcamericas.com (Mar. 4, 2025) and covers.com (Mar. 7, 2025)
- Feb 26, 2025 · Other · Lottery couriersNM AG Opinion 2025-07 concludes DraftKings-owned lottery courier Jackpocket's app constitutes "internet gaming" triggering the 2015 Compacts' Section 17 reopener, and likely violates Lottery Act anti-markup/retailer-certificate provisions and the criminal bet-transmission-fee statute[6]New Mexico Attorney General Opinion No. 2025-07 (Feb. 26, 2025), requested by the Governor and several Pueblo/tribal governors
- Jan 29, 2024 · Other · Commercial casinosHB159 (2024), which would have cancelled the scheduled 2027-07-01 reversion of the 60-2E-47 gaming tax rate from 24.8% to 26%, is postponed indefinitely by House committee (effectively dies)[39]HB159 (2024 Regular Session); Legislative Finance Committee fiscal impact report
- Jan 17, 2024 · Court Ruling · Tribal casinosNew Mexico Supreme Court rules Class III compacts do not confer state-court jurisdiction over certain tribal tort claims[42]Sipp v. Buffalo Thunder Inc.
- 2023 · Tax Change · Commercial casinosSB336 (Laws 2023, c. 122) temporarily reduces the Gaming Control Act's 60-2E-47 net-take gaming tax rate to 24.8%, with the pre-2023 26% rate scheduled to resume 2027-07-01[39]
- 2021 · Other · Advance deposit wageringHB199 and SB362 (2021 session) would again have codified advance deposit wagering via licensed racetracks/third-party technology providers; neither is reflected in the current enacted statute, indicating both failed to pass[37]
- 2019 · Other · Advance deposit wageringHB636 and SB564 (2019 session) would have codified advance deposit wagering on horse racing in the Horse Racing Act; neither is reflected in the current enacted statute, indicating both failed to pass[43]
- Oct 16, 2018 · Launched · Sports (retail)Santa Ana Star Casino opens New Mexico's first tribal retail sportsbook: Pueblo of Santa Ana (Tamaya Nation) casino near Albuquerque launched a retail sportsbook (risk management by USBookmaking/Vic Salerno) on the theory sports wagering is already a Class III gaming activity under the tribe's existing compact; no NM statute authorizes sports wagering; bets on New Mexico/NMSU teams excluded; the AG's office said it would monitor and work with the Legislature on oversight[2]
- Jun 22, 2017 · Court Ruling · Tribal casinosPueblo of Isleta sues New Mexico over revenue-sharing calculation under 2015 Compacts[15]Pueblo of Isleta v. Martinez (D.N.M.); challenged the state's effort to retroactively count gaming-machine 'free play' credits as revenue when calculating revenue-sharing payments owed under the 2007 Compacts
- Oct 5, 2016 · Court Ruling · Tribal casinosFederal court dismisses Pojoaque gaming-compact dispute with New Mexico[16]Pueblo of Pojoaque v. State of New Mexico (D.N.M.)
- 2015 · Compact Amended · Tribal casinos"2015 Compacts" amend/renew New Mexico tribal gaming compacts, introducing a three-period tiered revenue-sharing schedule on "Adjusted Net Win" (2015-2018, 2018-2030, 2030-2037), regulatory-cost reimbursement payments to the State, a statewide self-exclusion program (Section 4(F)(2)), and an internet-gaming reopener clause (Section 17); later cited by tribes as the compact generation under which the state sought to change revenue-sharing calculations[15],[5]
- Dec 18, 2013 · Court Ruling · Tribal casinosPueblo of Pojoaque sues New Mexico over good-faith gaming-compact negotiations[16]Pueblo of Pojoaque v. State of New Mexico (D.N.M.); complaint concerned whether the state negotiated a compact renewal in good faith as IGRA requires
- 2007 · Compact Amended · Tribal casinos"2007 Compacts" renewal/amendment of New Mexico tribal gaming compacts (compact generation whose revenue-sharing payment calculation was later disputed in Pueblo of Isleta v. Martinez)[15]
- 1997 · Compact Signed · Tribal casinosNew Mexico negotiates initial Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compacts (baseline compact later amended/renewed in 2001, 2007 and 2015; dated via litigation references, not the compact text itself)[15]
- 1996 · Launched · LotteryNew Mexico Lottery begins ticket sales (exact first-sale date not stated in sources reviewed; a first $6.2 million net-profit distribution to the State was made Aug. 1, 1996, indicating sales were already underway, and Powerball launched Oct. 20, 1996)[17]
- Apr 5, 1995 · Legalized · LotteryGovernor Gary Johnson signs the New Mexico Lottery Act, creating the Lottery Authority[17],[19]6-24 NMSA 1978 (New Mexico Lottery Act)
Regulators
- New Mexico Gaming Control Board — Commercial casinos, Tribal casinos, VGTs / VLTs
- New Mexico Racing Commission — Pari-mutuel, Advance deposit wagering, Historical horse racing
- New Mexico Lottery Authority — Lottery, iLottery, Lottery couriers
- New Mexico Office of the Attorney General — Sweepstakes casinos, Prediction markets, Skill games, Sports (retail)
Sources
- Sports betting in the United States · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Table row for New Mexico in "Legality of gambling types in U.S. states and territories" marks Sports betting = Yes, Racetrack = Yes, Commercial = No, Online = No.
- New Mexico Sports Betting coverage (Santa Ana Star Casino launch) · SportsHandle · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“New Mexico has no statute explicitly permitting sports betting”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2E-2 — Policy (Gaming Control Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“strictly regulated to ensure honest and competitive gaming that is free from criminal and corruptive elements and influences”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2E-47 — Gaming tax imposed (Gaming Control Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“An excise tax is imposed on the privilege of engaging in gaming activities in the state.”
- 2015 Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact between the Pueblo of Jemez and the State of New Mexico (DOI/BIA-published, executed April 13, 2015) · U.S. Department of the Interior / Bureau of Indian Affairs · compact · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Section 11(C)(2) sets the tiered Adjusted-Net-Win revenue-sharing schedule used in tax_rates (2%/8.5%/9%/9% for 2015-2018; 2%/8.75%/9.5%/10% for 2018-2030; 2%/9.5%/10.25%/10.75% for 2030-2037). Section 4(F)(2) requires a statewide self-exclusion program. Section 11(D)(2) exhaustively lists the non-tribal Class III gaming the State may allow without penalty (state lottery, fraternal/veterans machines, nonprofit fundraising, racetrack pari-mutuel and capped gaming machines). Used as representative text for the "2015 Compacts" generation; other NM tribes' 2015 compacts were not individually verified to match.
“In the event that internet gaming is authorized within the State, the State and the Tribe agree that they will reopen good faith negotiations”
- Summary: New Mexico AG Opinion No. 2025-07, The Legality of the Jackpocket App in New Mexico (Feb. 26, 2025) · ezel.ai (AG-opinion summary aggregator) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary summary of a primary AG opinion; original opinion text not independently reachable (NM AG site not fetched in this pass).
“the Jackpocket app constitutes internet gaming”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2E-3 — Definitions (Gaming Control Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“a mechanical, electromechanical or electronic contrivance or machine that, upon insertion of a coin, token or similar object”
- List of casinos in New Mexico · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Lists five named racinos and tribal casinos grouped by tribe (sourced on the page to a 2012 magazine article).
- New Mexico Casinos · 500 Nations · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Minimum age for casinos is 21 years old.”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2E-18 — Company eligibility requirements (Gaming Control Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“be incorporated or otherwise organized and in good standing in this state”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2E-34 — Exclusion of persons (Gaming Control Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“pose a threat to the public interest or licensed gaming activities”
- New Mexico Statutes Chapter 60 — Business Licenses (article list) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Article 2E. Gaming Control”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2E-9 — Executive director (Gaming Control Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“at least five years of responsible supervisory administrative experience in a governmental gaming regulatory agency”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2E-5 — Gaming control board created · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“All members of the board shall be residents of New Mexico and citizens of the United States.”
- Isleta Pueblo Sues New Mexico over Revenue Sharing · Turtle Talk · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Describes Pueblo of Isleta v. Martinez (D.N.M.) complaint challenging the state's attempt, under the "2015 Compacts," to retroactively count gaming-machine free-play credits as revenue for calculating revenue-sharing payments under the "2007 Compacts."
- Federal Court Dismisses Pojoaque Gaming-Related Dispute with New Mexico · Turtle Talk · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico dismissed Pueblo of Pojoaque v. State of New Mexico, an IGRA good-faith-negotiation suit over gaming compact renewal.
- Lottery History · New Mexico Lottery Authority · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Timeline entries include Governor Gary Johnson appointing the Lottery Board of Directors (Aug. 14, 1995), first CEO Ralph Decker starting (Nov. 20, 1995), and Powerball launching Oct. 20, 1996.
- New Mexico Lottery homepage · New Mexico Lottery Authority · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Lists current games (scratchers, Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America, Roadrunner Cash, Pick 3 Plus, Pick 4 Plus) and Legislative Lottery Scholarship program; no online ticket sales or courier mention.
- N.M. Stat. § 6-24-20 — Lottery vendor disclosure (New Mexico Lottery Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Any lottery vendor that submits a bid or proposal for a contract”
- Daily fantasy sports · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Washington”
- N.M. Stat. § 30-19-1 — Definitions relating to gambling · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“a bargain in which the parties agree that, dependent upon chance, even though accompanied by some skill”
- Summary: New Mexico AG Opinion No. 2025-17, Regarding the Legality of Daily Fantasy Sports via Online Applications (Dec. 23, 2025) · ezel.ai (AG-opinion summary aggregator) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary summary of a primary AG opinion; original opinion text not independently reachable (NM AG site not fetched in this pass).
“DFS is not expressly authorized by either the New Mexico Gaming Control Act or any other state law”
- New Mexico Sweepstakes Casinos · Lines.com · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only; page returned HTTP 403 on direct fetch, so no verbatim excerpt. Search-result summary states the NMGCB classifies sweepstakes platforms as illegal online gambling under NMSA § 30-19-2 (characterization as of May 2026) but does not license/regulate them and has recorded no enforcement against individual players.
- New Mexico Online Casinos · BettingUSA · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only; states New Mexico law does not address sweepstakes casinos and the state has not challenged the model, with all major sweepstakes brands remaining active -- directly conflicting with the lines.com characterization of NMGCB's position.
- Sweepstakes casino · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“sweepstakes parlors were banned in Florida, Ohio and several California municipalities”
- Kalshi · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Corporations cannot circumvent state gaming laws.”
- N.M. Stat. § 30-19-3 — Commercial gambling · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Whoever commits commercial gambling is guilty of a fourth degree felony.”
- New Mexico Attorney General Sues Kalshi Over Illegal Sports Betting · Covers.com · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Reports suit filed/announced in Santa Fe's First Judicial District Court by AG Raul Torrez around June 4-5, 2026; cites a 2025 survey finding 3.9% of NM adults screened positive for problem gambling vs. ~1% nationally.
“offering unlicensed sports betting in violation of state gaming laws”
- New Mexico Sues Kalshi Over Questions of Legal Sports Betting · The Lines · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Reports the May 2026 federal tribal lawsuit (Pojoaque, Sandia, Isleta pueblos and Mescalero Apache Tribe) and the subsequent June 2026 state AG suit as raising similar arguments.
“In May, four tribes in New Mexico sued Kalshi”
- N.M. Admin. Code 15.1.22 — Forfeiture Proceedings · New Mexico Gaming Control Board (via srca.nm.gov rules compilation) · regulation · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“an illegal gaming machine... does not include an amusement device... [a gaming machine] affords the player an opportunity to obtain anything of value, the award of which is determined by chance, even though accompanied by some skill.”
- State ex rel. New Mexico Gaming Control Board v. Ten Gaming Devices, 2005-NMCA-117 · New Mexico Court of Appeals (via FindLaw) · court · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Addressed forfeiture of slot-type machines found in a private home; court held they were not subject to forfeiture on those facts. Cited for background on the Gaming Control Act's forfeiture framework, not as a skill-game carve-out.
- Jackpocket exits New Mexico following negative AG opinion on couriers · SBC Americas · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“temporarily suspended lottery courier operations”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-1A-1 — Short title (Horse Racing Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Chapter 60, Article 1A NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Horse Racing Act."”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-1A-19 — Retainage from pari-mutuel wagering (Horse Racing Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“simulcast horse races broadcast to a horse racetrack in New Mexico”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-1A-2 — Definitions (Horse Racing Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“a transmission of a live audiovisual broadcast of a horse race being run at a horse racetrack other than”
- New Mexico Racing Commission homepage · New Mexico Racing Commission · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“in an equitable manner”
- New Mexico House Bill 199 (2021 Regular Session) — proposed Horse Racing Act amendment defining and authorizing advance deposit wagering · New Mexico Legislature · bill · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Introduced by Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell; not reflected in the current enacted Horse Racing Act definitions, indicating it did not pass. Companion bill SB362 (2021) addressed the same subject.
“a form of pari-mutuel wagering in which an individual may deposit money in an account with an authorized licensee”
- N.M. Stat. § 60-2F-2 — Purpose (New Mexico Bingo and Raffle Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“to authorize and regulate certain games of chance”
- NM HB159 (2024 Regular Session) — Gaming Expenses Calculation: bill text, committee action, and Legislative Finance Committee fiscal impact report · LegiScan (mirroring New Mexico Legislature records) · bill · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
LFC fiscal analysis describes SB336 (Laws 2023) as temporarily reducing the 60-2E-47 gaming tax rate, with a 1.2-percentage-point increase (to 26%) scheduled to take effect 2027-07-01 absent further legislation; HB159 would have cancelled that increase but was postponed indefinitely by House committee on 2024-01-29.
“Action Postponed Indefinitely”
- Legislative Lottery Scholarship · New Mexico Lottery Authority · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
States that since 1996, more than 161,000 students have attended New Mexico public colleges, universities and technical colleges with scholarship help; gives no percentage breakdown or statute citation.
“Part of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets benefits New Mexico's future.”
- N.M. Stat. § 6-24-32 — Unlawful acts; penalties (New Mexico Lottery Act) · FindLaw (New Mexico Statutes) · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“under eighteen years of age”
- Turtle Talk search results: "new mexico compact" · Turtle Talk (Michigan State University Indigenous Law & Policy Center) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Lists posts on New Mexico tribal gaming compact litigation, including Sipp v. Buffalo Thunder Inc. (Jan. 17, 2024), Pueblo of Pojoaque v. State of New Mexico, and Pueblo of Isleta v. Martinez.
- New Mexico House Bill 636 (2019 Regular Session) — proposed Horse Racing Act amendment authorizing advance deposit wagering · New Mexico Legislature · bill · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Not reflected in the current enacted Horse Racing Act definitions, indicating it did not pass. Companion bill SB564 (2019) addressed the same subject.
“Advance deposit wagering is authorized if conducted in compliance with the Horse Racing Act and the federal Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978”
- NIGC FY 2025 Gross Gaming Revenue Report · National Indian Gaming Commission · regulator report · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“FY 2025’s GGR of $46.2 billion marks the highest ever GGR for the Indian gaming industry.”
- List of casinos in New Mexico · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Route 66 Casino Express Laguna Pueblo Bernalillo New Mexico Native American west of Albuquerque; features 120 slots only; Ohkay Casino Resort San Juan Pueblo Rio Arriba New Mexico Native American Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo”
- Jicarilla Apache · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Tribe-owned Apache Nugget Casino north of Cuba, New Mexico and the Best Western Jicarilla Inn and Casino in Dulce”
- Pueblo of Pojoaque · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Pojoaque Pueblo opened the in 1987, and the Cities of Gold Casino in the mid-1990s ... In 2008 the Pueblo opened the Buffalo Thunder resort and casino”
- Pueblo of Isleta · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Pueblo of Isleta owns and operates the Isleta Resort Casino which is one of the larger New Mexico casinos”
- Santa Claran Hotel Casino, Espanola · Expedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Santa Claran Hotel Casino ... Ohkay Casino Resort Hotel. Ohkay Owingeh.”
- Acoma Pueblo · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“The Acoma Pueblo also has a casino and hotel the Sky City Casino Hotel”