Argentina Advances Federal Law to Regulate Gambling and Target Unlicensed Operators
In a significant step towards gambling regulation, the government of Javier Milei has introduced its inaugural federal gambling bill to Argentina’s Congress. The proposal emphasizes the importance of addressing gambling addiction as a matter of public health, while also implementing measures to protect minors, enforce identity verification, and crack down on unlicensed online operators. Argentina Unlicensed Operators
The government has formally placed gambling on the national legislative agenda by submitting a dedicated bill. On 22 May, Cabinet chief Manuel Adorni announced via X that four bills had been introduced that day, including this gambling proposal. Alongside, the package features a revised Super RIGI proposal, a lobbying-disclosure law, and new food-labelling regulations. President Milei promptly shared the news, showing clear backing for the legislative push.
The drafting process involved Sedronar working closely with the Ministry of Health. The bill explicitly frames the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction as a core element of the country’s public health strategy. For the online gaming sector, key compliance measures include an outright ban on online gambling for minors and mandatory identity checks on all licensed platforms. These provisions link gambling addiction prevention directly to platform-level controls designed to verify age and identity.
The bill also introduces criminal penalties targeting illegal gambling operators. Operating betting systems without proper authorization could result in prison sentences ranging from three to six years. The legislation further stipulates harsher penalties if minors are involved. A new Article 301 proposes that anyone providing services, equipment, or materials to unlicensed operators could face two to four years in prison, with increased sentences for those engaging in advertising on their behalf.
Read also: Brazil’s Online Betting Self-Exclusion Program Exceeds 500,000 Participants
This is seen as the first time Argentina’s federal criminal law explicitly targets online gambling violations. The law differentiates between licensed operators who are subject to identity verification and unlicensed entities operating outside legal bounds. The government emphasizes that this approach aims to regulate rather than prohibit legitimate commerce, with licensing status becoming a critical legal consideration for operators, suppliers, and advertisers. Several federal agencies would be empowered to enforce the new rules. ENACOM would have the authority to block content from illegal operators, while the Central Bank could prevent minors from transferring funds to gambling platforms. The CNV would gain oversight over virtual asset service providers supporting unlicensed sites, and NIC Argentina would be tasked with suspending domains linked to illegal operators. Sedronar would oversee the development and funding of treatment programs for gambling addiction. These measures create a coordinated multi-agency framework covering communications, financial transactions, virtual assets, domain management, and health.
Advertising restrictions would span social media, TV, radio, the internet, mobile apps, and public spaces. Promotional content targeting minors or featuring them would be prohibited. Ads could not portray gambling as a means to achieve social status, wealth, or personal success. It’s worth noting that this proposal follows a previous gambling bill that gained partial approval last year but was ultimately rejected by Milei’s La Libertad Avanza bloc, which viewed it as a blanket ban on lawful commerce. The current draft narrows focus to minors, identity verification, and criminal sanctions for unlicensed operators, signaling a more restrained legislative approach. Argentina Unlicensed Operators
