Buenos Aires court blocks Polymarket nationwide in Argentina
The fight against illegal gambling in the digital environment has reached a decisive chapter in Argentina. Following a complaint filed by the Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA), the Buenos Aires courts have ordered the preventive blocking of Polymarket, one of the largest prediction market platforms worldwide, throughout the national territory. The decision, made by Dr. Susana Parada, head of Court PCyF N 31, represents a strong blow to operators who try to mask betting activities under the guise of collective analysis tools or data forecasting.
The operation was the result of meticulous technical monitoring carried out by LOTBA's teams. Once the evidence was collected, the Specialized Gambling Prosecutor's Office (FEJA), under the direction of Dr. Juan Rozas and the secretariat of Dr. Rodrigo Nahuel Branca, led the criminal investigation that culminated in the blocking order. This measure not only affects the main domain of the website but also instructs the restriction of its mobile applications in all digital stores available to users in the country.
The risk for minors and the nature of betting
The core of the judicial argument lies in the operational mechanics of these markets. According to the authorities, although these platforms present themselves as instruments of crowd wisdom, in practice they meet all the requirements of a game of chance. There is a real money bet, an uncertain outcome, and a clear expectation of financial gain or loss. Added to this is a critical risk factor: the complete absence of identity verification protocols and age controls, which exposes minors to unsupervised betting environments.
Ezequiel Dominguez, Director of LOTBA, emphasized that this case is an example of how coordination between regulators, the judiciary, and the industry's legal sector is the only effective way to combat the advance of the online black market. This result was possible thanks to joint work where the Asociación de Loterías Estatales de Argentina (ALEA), chaired by Ida López, confirmed that the platform was not authorized in any jurisdiction in the country. The Cámara Argentina de Salas de Casinos, Bingos y Anexos (CASCBA) also made relevant contributions to strengthen the investigation framework.
Tags: Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina predictive markets, LOTBA, Polymarket