Overview
- OFAC designated 27 people and entities tied to Grupo Hysa for laundering in support of the Sinaloa Cartel, triggering asset blocks and prohibitions for U.S. persons.
- Mexico’s finance intelligence units filed criminal and fiscal complaints, suspended 13 casinos, blocked online platforms, and froze linked accounts after months of financial analysis.
- FinCEN identified 10 casinos as of primary money-laundering concern, including Emine, Mirage, multiple Midas locations, Palermo and Skampa sites in Sonora, Sinaloa, Baja California and Tabasco.
- Officials outlined a six-step scheme using stolen identities, prepaid instruments, simulated gambling wins and rapid transfers to Malta, Switzerland, Romania, the UAE and Panama to disguise illicit funds.
- Authorities signaled tighter oversight of digital betting with enhanced monitoring tools, while some operators publicly referenced in media statements deny wrongdoing.