Argentina's online gambling tax has already surpassed all of 2025
The indirect tax levied on online gambling and sports betting in Argentina collected AR$123.856m (US$81.6m) in the nine months from January to September, surpassing the total amount collected throughout 2025 by a difference of AR$30.198m (US$19.9m). These figures come from the Tax Collection and Customs Control Agency.
Even after accounting for inflation, the jump remains considerable, and that's the significant data point. The consulting firm Empiria calculated a real year-on-year growth of close to 42 percent for the accumulated nine months, once the price evolution for the period was incorporated. Measured against the size of the economy, the tax is equivalent to 0.03 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, according to data cited by El Cronista.
The monthly breakdown shows a high plateau rather than an upward curve. September contributed AR$17.255m (US$11.4m), exceeding August's AR$16.975m (US$11.2m), but the nominal peak for the year remains July, when AR$17.798m (US$11.7m) was collected, coinciding with the decisive rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tax was established with Law 27.346 and applies to all gambling and betting conducted in the country through digital platforms, regardless of the device used. The base rate takes 5 percent of the net amount players deposit into their gaming accounts, with a reduction to 2.5 percent for those who meet certain genuine investment requirements, and a penalty of 7.5 percent for local operators who, despite being required to register, are not.
When a foreign entity is involved, the amount increases. In such cases, the rate climbs to 10 percent and can reach 15 percent when a non-cooperative jurisdiction, or one with low or no taxation, is involved. Separately, there is a specific tax on the placement of bets, which applies 0.95 percent to each play made on electronic machines in land-based casinos.
The July peak serves as a warning for the end of the year, because the segment's collection follows the sports calendar, and the fourth quarter is compared against a period without a World Cup. The important number, however, is the real 42 percent, not the nominal figure in pesos, which in a high-inflation economy exaggerates any series. And the 0.03 percent of GDP puts the scale in context, because it measures a segment that has grown rapidly but still contributes a marginal fraction to public funds, far from the more than R$8,000m that Brazil once collected for the same concept before shutting down its market.
Tags: ARCA, Online gaming revenue in Argentina, Law 27.346, Betting tax