Since gambling has played an integral part in the state exchequer since 1947, New Mexico has fairly forward and advanced gambling laws.
The tribal casinos were already allowed to provide sports betting as a part of their offerings even after the Supreme Court overturned the federal Professional, and Amateur Sports Protection Act ban in May 2018. New Mexico was also one of the first American states to legalize sports betting. The construction of non-tribal casinos was only approved by the state in 2011, and the first commercial casino opened in Albuquerque, the capital city of New Mexico. Later in 1996, the governor of New Mexico signed a bill that authorized the launch of a new state lottery, which went on to join the Multi-State Lottery Association 1996. In 1990, the government of New Mexico signed gambling compacts with local Indian tribes shortly after the passing of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Gambling first became legal in New Mexico in 1947, when pari-mutuel horse racing betting was legalized by local lawmakers.
