By While New Mexico has welcomed most types of real-life gambling through local Native American tribes, online gambling is very restricted in the state. Below, you’ll find our expert breakdown of the laws in NM and what gambling is available to you.
Online gambling’s legal status in New Mexico
Tribal land-based casinos have been operational in New Mexico since the mid-1990s, but online casino gambling remains prohibited. There have been no attempts from lawmakers to change this. The only alternative is to play for free with sweepstake casinos like the ones we list on this page.
The gambling age in New Mexico
You must be 21 to gamble at land-based and sweepstake casinos in New Mexico. Sites will request that you send a copy of your photo ID to prove your age and comply with US gambling regulations. You may also need to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number for verification reasons.
Taxes on gambling winnings
Following regulations from the IRS, you need to declare all your gambling winnings and losses when completing your taxes. You must complete a W-2G form if you win over $1,200. You must also include any gambling winnings when declaring your state income tax.
How are online casinos regulated?
There is no regulatory body to oversee online casinos in New Mexico because real money online casino gambling is not yet permitted. All the safe and legal sites we recommend allow you to play for free, so they don’t need specific regulations from each state.
These platforms have all been tested and are secure for you to use. Part of our review process is selecting operators which welcome third-party testing and have the proper licensing to operate in the US.
Still, the New Mexico Gaming Control Board would likely regulate online casinos if online casino gambling was legalized in New Mexico.
