Argentina: Buenos Aires requires biometrics for online gaming
The Government of the Province of Buenos Aires announced that all online gaming and sports betting platforms authorized to operate in the district must obligatorily incorporate biometric identification and facial recognition systems for their users.
The announcement was made by the Buenos Aires government minister, Carlos Bianco, during a press conference, where he explained that the measure aims to strengthen the prevention of problem gambling, especially among minors. “We seek to prevent and address an important issue such as gambling addiction in young people,” the official stated.
According to Bianco, the seven operators currently authorized in the province will be required to implement biometric identity verification mechanisms on all their sites. Companies will have a maximum period of 60 days to adapt their systems and regularize user records.
The minister pointed out that the measure will prevent access to platforms through the use of third-party data, such as family members, since each user must identify and validate their identity at the time of entry. In practice, this implies the requirement of a liveness test through facial recognition.
The new obligation also introduces partial limitations on the use of desktop computers to access betting sites, given that biometric validation requires the use of a camera to perform facial recognition, a feature more common on mobile devices.
During the same conference, Bianco reported that last week about 300 complaints were filed against illegal betting sites before specialized prosecutorial units. The actions were promoted by the Institute of Lotteries and Casinos of the Province of Buenos Aires (IPLyC), as part of the provincial strategy to combat illegal gambling.
Likewise, the official recalled that the province has a mental health care network aimed at people with gambling problems, as part of a comprehensive approach to the phenomenon.
Tags: Argentina, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina online betting, online betting in Buenos Aires province, biometric betting control