The giant Mexican media company Televisa is planning to open 10 bingo rooms and houses of bets in 2006, investing 4.5 million dollars per establishment, according to Alfonso de Angoitia, vice president of the firm.

Grupo Televisa announced last year the creation of Apuestas Internacionales (international bets), in order to start its operations in this rapidly growing market, which is currently led by the companies Caliente and CIE.

In 2005 the Mexican government gave Televisa a licence to open 65 gambling centers in the country. De Angoitia said Televisa is planning to invest 300 million dollars in 2006, 95 of which will be assigned to the open television division and 90 to the Sky satellital TV, its second source of incomes.

Televisa reported on Thursday a yearly increase of 110.6% in its net utility for the first quarter of the year, as a result of the higher advertising sales, the bigger incomes of Sky, and the lower financial costs.