Argentine Congress analyzes bill protecting minors from gambling
The National Chamber of Deputies has received a new legislative initiative seeking to establish a more robust protection framework against the advance of child gambling addiction in digital environments. The project, promoted by national deputy Karina Banfi, focuses on tightening prohibitions on advertising, promotion, and access for minors under 18 to virtual betting platforms. This proposal comes at a time of high social sensitivity in Argentina, where the use of mobile devices has made it easier for adolescents to come into contact with gambling dynamics that were previously restricted exclusively to physical casino and lottery settings.
The initiative proposes structural reforms to two fundamental norms for the Argentine legal system: Law 26.061 on Comprehensive Protection of the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents, and Law 26.522 on Audiovisual Communication Services. Through these modifications, the aim is to explicitly prohibit the participation and presence of minors in any type of game, physical or virtual, that encourages betting. The text emphasizes the State's responsibility to guarantee healthy recreational programs that prevent gaming practices capable of leading to serious harm to the physical or mental health of young people.
Severe restrictions on advertising and the use of public figures
One of the most decisive points of Banfi's project is the total ban on loyalty incentives and advertisements aimed at young audiences. The rule applies to all communication media, from television and radio to social networks and digital platforms. In this regard, the text is explicit in prohibiting the use of animations, influencers, athletes, or any personality with a strong appeal to minors. It also seeks to eradicate messages that link personal success or economic well-being with gambling, a narrative that is often very effective in capturing the attention of developing users.
The measure also imposes strict obligations on sports clubs and institutions that organize mass events. Under this new framework, these entities must refrain from using expressions that associate, either implicitly or explicitly, gambling with sporting or social success. Deputy Banfi has insisted that the country is facing compulsive behavior that primarily affects digital natives, who use technology as their main means of socialization and entertainment, which demands urgent and effective legislative intervention.
A high-intensity legislative scenario and recent precedents
This new project joins a series of proposals already under analysis by the Senate and Deputies committees. Recently, Senator Gerardo Zamora presented a similar initiative that seeks to prohibit the use of welcome bonuses and block access to betting sites on the connectivity networks of educational establishments. The accumulation of projects responds to the concern generated after, at the end of 2025, a law for the prevention of gambling addiction that already had half parliamentary approval lost its parliamentary status, forcing legislators to restart the debate from scratch in the current cycle.
During the technical debate sessions held at the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026, Congress has convened a wide variety of ecosystem actors. From representatives of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to executives of technology companies and workers' organizations, all have contributed their vision on how to regulate an industry that generates significant resources but requires clear ethical limits. The goal of the legislators is to achieve a unified text that allows transparent market oversight without neglecting the protection of fundamental children's rights in the digital age.
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