Online gambling tax grew 41% in real terms in Argentina
The two months of the World Cup account for almost a third of all the revenue Argentina collected this year from the indirect tax on authorized sports betting and online gaming. Between June and July, 31.454 billion pesos, approximately 20.8 million dollars, were collected, out of a total of 106.601 billion pesos, equivalent to 70.5 million dollars, accumulated between January and August, as reported by the Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero.
With these data, the consulting firm Analytica estimated that the accumulated amount for the period grew 41% year-on-year in real terms, assuming a projected inflation of 1.7% for the month. The tax has a general rate of 5% on the net value of deposits that a bettor makes into their gaming account and applies to bets and gambling activities carried out in the country through any digital platform.
ARCA began to itemize the collection of this tax in 2025. Since then, with a few specific exceptions, revenues have increased month by month until reaching their historical peak in July 2026, in the midst of the tournament.
On the demand side, a survey by Voices! Research & Consultancy conducted online in August on a sample of 1,151 men and women aged 18 to 65 across the country concluded that the World Cup served as an entry point and catalyst for the habit of betting. 29% of adults participated in some type of sports betting during the tournament, and 14% gambled for money, figures that rise to 47% and 28% respectively in the 18 to 29 age group.
The most relevant data for the medium term appears in the composition of that base. Among those who used sports betting platforms, without distinguishing between legal and illegal, 28% bet for the first time during the World Cup, and another 28% had had a sporadic experience before, while 46% acknowledged that they would probably continue to do so in the coming months.
The Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero replaced AFIP at the end of 2024 and centralizes tax and customs administration at the national level. The indirect tax on online betting coexists in Argentina with provincial taxes, given that the authorization of platforms is the responsibility of each jurisdiction and not the national government.
Tags: Revenue and Customs Control Agency, indirect tax on online betting, 2026 World Cup, Voices! Research & Consultancy