Monterrey, about 150 miles south of the Texas line and third largest city in Mexico, now has an estimated 50 gambling casinos that employ some 5,000 people. The gaming industry has grown by 300 percent during the past four years, according to the newspaper “Economista.” Technically, gambling casinos are illegal in Mexico, but none of these are clandestine. Taking advantage of holes in federal laws, the casinos offer off-track betting, wagers on football games and other activities where the house always wins. Besides being big, Monterrey is considered the wealthiest city in the country. Recently it has been plagued by battles between drug-smuggling gangs and Spain has warned its citizens about the dangers lurking there.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
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