Argentina simultaneously blocks six illegal online casinos
The Specialized Criminal Prosecutor's Office for Gambling (FEJA) of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires carried out a coordinated operation that successfully blocked six illegal online gambling platforms within 48 hours. The measures, requested by prosecutor Juan Rozas and adopted with the intervention of two specialized criminal courts, represent a significant advance in the prosecution of the unregulated market in Buenos Aires.
The operation was the result of a joint investigation initiated after a complaint from the Argentine Chamber of Casino, Bingo, and Annex Halls and the company Compliance UPLINE S.A. The investigation involved multiple institutions: the Lottery of the City of Buenos Aires (LOTBA), the Judicial Investigations Unit (CIJ), and the competent courts. The cases were framed under Article 301 bis of the Penal Code, which criminalizes the exploitation, administration, and operation of gambling without authorization.
The analysis of the blocked platforms revealed organized structures of considerable complexity. These operations had web development specialists, legal experts for drafting regulations and contracts, and financial specialists responsible for programming the reception of bets and payment systems. The operation confirmed that these platforms operated without identity verification, without age controls, and without any user protection measures.
A critical aspect of the investigation was the identification of the exposure of minors as a serious characteristic of the illegal market in Buenos Aires. FEJA reoriented its criminal prosecution strategy towards those platforms that, operating clandestinely, specifically exposed children and adolescents to the risk of problem gambling. Prosecutor Juan Rozas highlighted the institutional support of Attorney General Martín López Zavaleta in advancing the fight against illegal gambling.
In the regional context, the Argentine operation reflects a growing trend in Latin America towards coordinated operations that integrate financial intelligence, criminal investigation, and regulatory oversight. Illegal gambling systems operating without a license in the region continue to show organizational sophistication, but national authorities are demonstrating agile and coordinated response capabilities to dismantle them.
Tags: Illegal gambling Argentina, LOTBA, FEJA, City of Buenos Aires