The New Mexico Lottery Authority voted in favor of creating a sports betting parlay-type product and expressed interest in expanding gambling to lottery ticket sales at gas stations, video lottery terminals, and the ability to allow lottery purchases from mobile devices.

There seems to be little momentum to expand legal wagering to the rest of the state. Tribal casinos have also forbidden wagering on sports teams in New Mexico, thus eliminating the ability to bet on local university teams. There is no legal online or mobile betting in the state. New Mexico residents are free to make sports wagers at any of the facilities however, only while physically on-site. As a result, the Santa Ana Star Casino was the first to offer sports betting in New Mexico in October of 2018 through a partnership with USBookmaking. The Pueblo of Santa Ana tribe deemed their compact with the state did, in fact, allow them to offer sports betting. Of the 28 tribal casinos in New Mexico, four offer sports betting despite no formal law to legalize the activity in the state. The state also offers five racinos, which offer horse racing and slots wagering.

Additionally, northern residents are in nearby proximity to Colorado, which has legalized sports betting already. New Mexicans can wager on sports at a select few tribal casinos. As such, despite the state having no formal legalized sports betting of its own, several tribes have introduced sports betting at their own casinos.

The wording in the compacts signed with native New Mexico tribes as part of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 specifies any or all forms of Class III games, including any sports betting and pari-mutuel wagering, will be allowed. However, New Mexico has not moved forward with allowing legalized sports betting, but that doesn’t mean that sports betting isn’t allowed. On that day, courts voted to allow each state to propose and create their own laws and regulations for sports betting.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned on May 14, 2018. Sports betting laws in New Mexico are a little strange in comparison to other states.

New mexico casinos