Violent Video Game Tax Is Getting Closer to Reality
A polarizing proposal of a tax on violent video games gets one step closer to reality after clearing its first legislative vote.
gamerant.com
Mexico has moved a step closer to taxing violent video games after the Chamber of Deputies approved one such levy as part of a broader fiscal package. The legislative proposal now heads to the Senate, raising the possibility of higher prices and increased regulatory scrutiny in one of Latin America’s biggest gaming markets.
A 2025 report by Human Rights Watch states that Mexico continues to experience "extremely high rates" of homicide and other violent crimes. The trend peaked in 2022, when six Mexican cities recorded homicide rates exceeding 100 per 100,000 residents. Nationally, the homicide rate has declined slightly in recent years and currently stands at around 25 per 100,000. However, an increase in reported disappearances during the same period suggests that the true rate of homicides may not have changed significantly, if at all. Much of the country's violence has been linked to drug cartels, which have proven difficult for the government to crack down on over the years.
While the video game industry's connection to real-life violence is much more dubious, it makes for an easier legislative target. It has now found itself in the crosshairs of the Mexican parliament, whose lower house—the Chamber of Deputies—voted to approve an 8% levy on violent video games on October 17. The measure was bundled into Mexico’s 2026 Economic Package proposal, presented as part of "health taxes," which also include higher levies on sugary drinks, tobacco, and gambling.
