New Mexicobecame a state in January 1912, making it one of the newest additions to the Union. The state has become a destination due to its vast natural beauty and popular association with the television show Breaking Bad.
However, New Mexico is also home to over 25 casinos due to its extensive Native American population. By virtue of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, federally-recognized tribes gained the ability to negotiate compacts with state governments to open casinos.
Most of New Mexico’s tribes have taken advantage of this new freedom and opened gaming facilities. It was probably inevitable, then, that one of them would push forward with sports betting.
New Mexico sports betting
New Mexico joined the community of states with sports betting in a rather inadvertent manner.
Sports betting began at the Santa Ana Star Casino and Hotel on Oct. 16, 2018. The sportsbook opened without an explicit New Mexico law or state regulatory oversight in place.
The Pueblo of Santa Ana tribe declared that its compact with the state allowed for sports betting already. Indeed, according to Legal Sports Report, the compact covered Class III wagering, which includes sports betting.
As a result, the tribe entered a partnership with sports betting company USBookmaking and opened shop. The tribe’s own regulatory body, the Pueblo of Santa Ana Gaming Regulatory Commission, oversees the procedures in place at the new sports betting facility.
Since then, two other facilities – Buffalo Thunder and Isleta Resort & Casino – have begun their own sports betting operations. The Mescalero Apache Tribeannounced that a fourth facility at Inn of the Mountain Gods will open sometime before the 2019 NFL season.
At this point, wagering is only available onsite. Online sports betting remains expressly prohibited by New Mexico law.
There are few reliable online casinos in the US these days. The combination of federal and state laws tends to make it difficult to find a steady site to play games of chance.
Thankfully, there is one great option available to residents in New Mexico. They can play on Chumba Casino.
Unlike other sites, Chumba is a sweepstakes site, making it closer to McDonald’s Monopoly game than an online casino. Because of its approach, New Mexico players are more than welcome to play.
Black Friday hit the online poker industry hardback in 2011. There are not many good options for players in most US states, including New Mexico.
The best option is Global Poker, which operates legally by using a sweepstakes model. As such, New Mexico players can technically receive chips for free – it just takes a lot longer than an online deposit.
However, for being the only option for a large swath of America, Global is not a bad choice. Make sure to get some $weeps Cash so you can get into the action.
Fantasy sports are definitely here to stay, and so are fantasy sports providers. There may be no bigger name for daily fantasy sports than DraftKings.
New Mexico players should proceed to the company in black and green immediately. They will find no better home for their fantasy sports play than DraftKings.
DraftKings has the most action and the best opportunities to win big in the fantasy sports world. Don’t miss out!
Latest Updates
Updated as of: July 23, 2019
New Mexico is home to three sportsbooks right now. The Land of Enchantment is about to gain a fourth.
The Mescalero Apache Tribehas come to an agreement with international sportsbook operator William Hill. William Hill is pledging to open a sportsbook at the tribe’s Inn of the Mountain Gods sometime before the NFL season begins.
That means that New Mexico’s fourth sportsbook must open before September 5.
Inasmuch as it has allowed sports betting to proceed at the tribal casinos, New Mexico’s legislature does not appear motivated to authorize a full-scale expansion of sports betting. A bill to limit the state lottery’s ability to offer a sports betting-type product made it halfway through the state house before the legislature adjourned.
It’s unknown whether the bill’s sponsors will reintroduce it in the next session. However, there are no active sports betting bills, either, so the legislative environment at this point is, at best, hesitant.
No. Online slot play is not permitted under New Mexico state law, and none of its casinos offer online play.
What are the chances that we get full-fledged New Mexico online casinos?
At this point, not terribly great. The only gambling bill to make any motion this past legislative session died about halfway through the process.
There’s no indication that anything is forthcoming, but anything could happen.
I heard that New Jersey has legal online casinos. Can I play at those from New Mexico?
No. New Jersey’s online casinos are geofenced to disallow play from other states.
In other words, each online casino site in the Garden State employs geolocation software that is designed to screen out anyone outside the state. The software errs on the side of caution, meaning that players inside New Jersey are sometimes wrongly excluded.
New Mexico players cannot participate in the New Jersey games.
I see casinos accepting New Mexico players when I Google the topic. Should I trust them?
It’s not a great idea. Those sites are offshore brands that do not fall under the jurisdiction of any American legal system.
So, it could be quite difficult to find resolution should any disputes arise. Although many players use these sites without incident, it’s a gamble that things won’t go wrong.
New Mexico Online Sports Betting FAQ
I thought the Supreme Court made sports betting legal. So why can’t I bet on sports in New Mexico yet?
The US Supreme Courtdismissed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA, in May 2018. However, the effect of the dismissal was more specific than some might realize.
The decision merely remanded the choice about sports betting to the states. So, each state legislature – like New Mexico’s – must decide independently if it wants to allow sports betting inside state lines.
However, some of New Mexico’s tribal casinos have begun offering sports betting to visitors. The tribes are claiming that their compact with New Mexico allows them to do so.
So far, New Mexico has made no attempt to stop them. So, it is possible to bet on sports in New Mexico. We just don’t know if the state is ever going to tire of allowing it to proceed.
When will New Mexico legalize sports betting?
Hard to say. There are no bills to legalize sports betting active in New Mexico, and there’s no indication that any sort of movement is occurring.
Should I just bet with one of these online sportsbooks I see all of the time?
Players at these sites risk shutdown or other difficulties from the American government. Furthermore, it would not be possible to use the American justice system to adjudicate any dispute with these sites.
Many players play on these books. But, let the buyer very much beware doing so.
Can I play fantasy sports for real money in New Mexico?
Yes. Most of the main players in the fantasy sports world, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, are active in New Mexico right now.
What Gambling Is Legal In New Mexico?
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 opened the door for New Mexico’s many tribes to seek gaming compacts with the state. However, it took seven years and a change of government to move things forward on the state level.
In 1995, Gov. Gary Johnson signed compacts with various tribal authorities. The first casino, the Cities of Gold, opened on Jul. 4 of the same year.
However, disputes between tribes and the state about the language and requirements of the compacts lasted for another 12 years. In that time, the state established a more formalized negotiation process for compacts and required that tribes sign a new compact and amendment.
There are now 14 tribes with active casino operations in New Mexico. That translates to 21 Vegas-style casinos that are open for New Mexico residents and visitors.
The tribal compacts also permitted the awarding of six racino licenses. So far, five of these permits have been acquired and used to open racetrack-casino combinations around the state.
The casinos themselves are somewhat limited in that they cannot offer any type of live gaming. They offer slot machines and other electronic gaming tables instead.
Is Online Gambling Legal in New Mexico?
New Mexico Online Casinos
New Mexico is not home to any online casinos. New Mexico has an explicit prohibition against internet wagering of any kind, so there are not many options for those who wish to play.
The only decent option for those in the Land of Enchantment is Chumba Casino. Chumba operates as a sweepstakes site, which means that it is permitted under New Mexico’s laws.
For those who are interested, it is possible to send a written request via snail mail to Chumba for free $weeps Cash. However, most choose to purchase Gold Coins and speed up the process a bit.
New Mexico Online Poker Sites
There are no online poker sites available for play in New Mexico. New Mexico’s laws expressly prohibit gambling over the internet, with state law adhering closely to the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act issued by the federal government.
Instead, the only option for online poker in New Mexico is Global Poker. Like its sister site, Chumba Casino, Global Poker operates using a sweepstakes model.
New Mexico law does allow citizens to play in sweepstakes games, provided that it is possible to play without purchase. As it happens, Global Poker does have that option available.
Anyone who wishes can write a snail mail request to Global Poker in order to receive $weeps Cash. However, the delay to exercise such an option usually causes players to purchase Gold Coins and move things along faster.
New Mexico Online Lottery
In a manner consistent with other online forms of gambling, New Mexico does not allow lottery games to be played using devices. Players must proceed to retail outlets in order to participate in the games.
However, New Mexico does offer a robust selection of lottery games for players. That selection includes multi-state jackpot games like Mega Millions and Powerball.
Hopefully, New Mexico will reconsider its stance on online lottery soon. The trend toward mobile gaming’s popularity is clear and undeniable.
New Mexico Fantasy Sports Sites
New Mexico permits residents to use fantasy sports sites without any problem. Those wishing to do so need simply to log on with their phones or other devices.
As such, there are four great fantasy sports sites operating in the Land of Enchantment. They are:
DraftKings
FanDuel
Fantasy Draft
Yahoo!
Of the four, DragtKings and FanDuel remain the top performers in the industry. The two archrivals pioneered daily fantasy sports into the crowded gambling space.
The decision has paid off, as both FanDuel and DraftKings are now fully into gambling proper. However, both places are still the best for betting on DFS.
New Mexico Online Horse Betting
Online horse betting is allowed in New Mexico. Players from the Land of Enchantment can choose from any number of horse better vendors in order to try and hit it big.
For that reason, we can recommend three different sites that do the best work when it comes to online horse betting. They are:
TVG
BetAmerica
Twin Spires
Each site has its own unique personality. TVG is always broadcasting; Twin Spires has the best connection to the sport since it’s an arm of Churchill Downs.
You can’t really go wrong with any of these options. Choose carefully, though, because remember, you’re trying to look like you fit in down there.
New Mexico Online Sports Betting
New Mexico’s foray into sports betting is a unique case among the states with sportsbooks. Quite simply, New Mexico is the only one to host sports betting without a state law authorizing the practice.
Instead, Native American tribes throughout the Land of Enchantment are opening sportsbooks as an extension of their compacts with the state. These same compacts are what allowed the tribes to open casinos on their tribal lands.
However, New Mexico has a specific prohibition against internet gaming on the books. So, even though there is a growing number of options for retail sports betting in the state, there are no opportunities to wager on mobile devices or computers.
New Mexico is home to numerous federally-recognized Native American tribes. The state has elected to negotiate compacts with most of them, which permits the tribes to open casino facilities on their lands.
New Mexico is also home to five racetrack-casino facilities, or racinos. These operations offer pari-mutuel wagering and access to slot machines, video poker, and other electronic table games.
So, New Mexico has dozens of land-based gambling options instate. Here is a list of all the offerings available there:
Property
Tribe
Location
Type
Apache Nugget Casino
Jicarilla Apache Tribe
Cuba
Tribal
Black Mesa Casino
San Felipe Pueblo
Algodones
Tribal
Casino Apache Travel Center
Mescalero Apache
Mescalero
Tribal
Cities of Gold Casino
Pojoaque Pueblo
Santa Fe
Tribal
Dancing Eagle Casino
Laguna Pueblo
Paraje
Tribal
Fire Rock Casino
Navajo Nation
Church Rock
Tribal
Flowing Water Casino
Navajo Nation
Shiprock
Tribal
Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder
Pojoaque Pueblo
Santa Fe
Tribal
Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino
Mescalero Apache
Mescalero
Tribal
Isleta Casino and Resort
Isleta Pueblo
Albuquerque
Tribal
Northern Edge Casino
Navajo Nation
Fruitland
Tribal
Ohkay Casino Resort
Ohkay Owingeh
Ohkay Owingeh
Tribal
Palace West
Isleta Pueblo
Albuquerque
Tribal
Route 66 Casino
Laguna Pueblo
Rio Puerco
Tribal
Ruidoso Downs and Billy the Kid Casino
n/a
Ruidoso Downs
Racino
Sandia Casino
Sandia Pueblo
Albuquerque
Tribal
Santa Ana Star Casino
Santa Ana Pueblo
Bernalillo
Tribal
Santa Claran Hotel & Casino
Santa Clara Pueblo
Espanola
Tribal
Sky City Casino
Acoma Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo
Tribal
Sun Ray Park and Casino
n/a
Farmington
Racino
Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
n/a
Sunland Park
Racino
Taos Mountain Casino
Taos Pueblo
Taos
Tribal
Tesuque Casino
Tesuque Pueblo
Santa Fe
Tribal
The Downs Racetrack and Casino
n/a
Albuquerque
Racino
Wild Horse Casino
Jicarilla Apache Tribe
Dulce
Tribal
Zia Park Casino, Hotel & Racetrack
n/a
Hobbs
Racino
New Mexico residents can also purchase lottery tickets at numerous retail locations throughout the state. Overall, most New Mexicans are not wanting for opportunities to play games of chance.
