Argentina toughens problem gambling penalties and ad restrictions
The national government sent a bill to Congress to strengthen the regulation of online gambling and the prevention of problem gambling, with a special focus on minors and the proliferation of illegal platforms. The announcement was confirmed by the Chief of Staff, Manuel Adorni, on social media, and marks the beginning of a stage of reforms that the Casa Rosada wants to accelerate in both chambers.
The initiative was prepared by the Secretariat of Comprehensive Drug Policies of the Nation. It proposes new criminal sanctions, restrictions on advertising, and greater obligations for public bodies, financial entities, and technology providers. Its central objectives are to eradicate the exploitation of unauthorized online gaming, prohibit minors' access to platforms, and recognize the prevention of pathological gambling as a public health policy throughout the country.
Imprisonment for illegal operators
The bill modifies the Penal Code and provides for penalties of three to six years in prison for those who exploit or organize betting systems without jurisdictional authorization. It also contemplates penalties of two to four years for those who provide services or infrastructure to illegal operators and for those who participate in the advertising, promotion, or dissemination of unauthorized platforms. The measure directly targets influencers, presenters, and agencies that have been singled out by provincial regulations.
Without altering jurisdictional powers over gambling, the initiative proposes a national coordination framework to unify controls on advertising, prevention, and the fight against illegal gambling. Authorized operators, banks, and payment providers must implement technological age verification mechanisms, which opens the door to biometric systems and other advanced identity validation tools.
Advertising: the heart of the new regime
The bill prohibits all advertising, promotion, or sponsorship of illegal operators in any medium, social networks, television, radio, internet, or public thoroughfare. Responsibility falls on presenters, influencers, producers, agencies, and media that participate directly or indirectly. For authorized operators, campaigns cannot be directed at or feature minors, nor associate gambling with social, professional, or economic success. Nor can they suggest that betting solves financial problems or encourage the consumption of alcohol or tobacco during the activity.
The initiative assigns new responsibilities to ENACOM, which must prevent the dissemination of content and advertising from illegal platforms and block domains reported by provincial authorities. The Central Bank must prevent transfers from minors' accounts to online operators and require age verification mechanisms. The National Securities Commission will supervise virtual asset service providers that operate with illegal platforms.
Public health and federal coordination
The Ministry of Health and SEDRONAR will be in charge of prevention campaigns, training programs, research, and statistics on problem gambling and pathological gambling, in coordination with the provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. The new text expands on the preliminary version prepared last year, which had received strong criticism for avoiding advertising at sporting events, the use of virtual wallets, and specific prevention for minors.
The debate comes in a charged regional context. Argentina joins its movement to the parallel efforts of Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Peru, all seeking to tighten regulatory frameworks and protect younger users against the advance of illegal platforms and aggressive advertising campaigns. For operators with a presence in LatAm, the project changes the cost calculation in regulatory compliance and opens a new chapter of coordination with banks and financial entities.
Tags: Argentina, Argentina gambling regulation, problem gambling LatAm, online betting Argentina, SEDRONAR