Buenos Aires: bill to protect minors from online gambling analyzed
The Chamber of Deputies of the Province of Buenos Aires has received a new legislative proposal that seeks to tackle the problem of child cyber-gambling addiction at its root. The initiative, presented by Deputy Romina Braga of the Civic Coalition, aims to strengthen the control and oversight mechanisms of online gambling in a context where young people's access to these platforms has grown exponentially. According to the legislator, the phenomenon of betting has moved from traditional casinos and bingo halls directly to mobile devices, placing addiction just a click away.
The project introduces extremely strict technological and financial measures to prevent gambling among adolescents. Among the most prominent points is the mandatory biometric validation for user registration, which must be carried out in real-time to ensure that no minor can bypass the entry systems. Additionally, the proposal seeks to strictly prohibit the use of credit cards to top up gaming accounts and limit any type of transfer from bank accounts belonging to minors.
Prevention strategies in education and digital environments
Another fundamental pillar of the initiative is the effective blocking of betting sites within educational establishments. The intention is for schools to be spaces free of gambling incentives, preventing students from using school networks or their own devices to gamble during school hours. Likewise, the text incorporates self-control tools that platforms must mandatorily offer, such as alerts for prolonged session times, daily deposit limits, and the option of permanent self-exclusion.
In parallel with the presentation of this project, the provincial Legislature has taken a key institutional step with the creation of the Commission for Gambling, Lottery, and Gambling Addiction Prevention. This new technical body will be responsible for unifying and prioritizing the large number of legislative projects related to this social problem. The objective of both the ruling party and the opposition is to achieve a consensus text that regulates not only access but also the advertising and sponsorship of sportsbooks in public spaces and digital media.
The role of the provincial regulator and authorized platforms
The Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (IPLyC Buenos Aires) is already implementing administrative measures to reinforce this protection framework. Under the management of Gonzalo Atanasof, the agency has notified the seven authorized platforms in Buenos Aires territory that they must mandatorily include facial recognition and proof of life as an essential requirement for any user's entry. This measure seeks to sanitize the legal market and clearly differentiate it from clandestine sites that do not offer identity guarantees.
Tags: Argentina, Argentina problem gambling, IPLyC Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires online betting