LOTBA joins global forum on mental health, minors prevention
The Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA) participated in an international conference on mental health with the aim of promoting the prevention of gambling among minors. The presence of the city regulator at a forum of this scope underscores the priority that the iGaming ecosystem places on protecting vulnerable audiences and reducing harms associated with gambling. In line with global best practices, the focus was on the coordination between public health policies, regulatory standards, and operators’ compliance measures. The participation also sought to build bridges with mental health specialists, educators, and third sector entities to strengthen evidence-based prevention programs.
According to reports, LOTBA’s intervention in this international mental health conference was specifically aimed at promoting the prevention of gambling among minors. The agenda addressed emerging risks linked to digital access, exposure to gambling content, and the need to reinforce age verification mechanisms, both in physical and online channels. The convergence between digital entertainment and gambling was also analyzed, a relevant axis in verticals such as sports betting and eSports, where the youth audience is significant. The topic crosses multiple dimensions of the sector — Casinos and Bingos, Companies, Legislation, Lotteries, Online Gambling, Associations, Sports Betting, eSports, Events, and the prevention of Illegal Gambling — reflecting the transversal nature of prevention among minors.
LOTBA, as the regulatory authority of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, manages and supervises gaming licenses, oversees regulatory compliance, and coordinates Responsible Gambling programs with authorized operators. The entity is a key player in the fight against illegal gambling and in the implementation of integrity frameworks, transaction traceability, and access control. In recent years, the organization has promoted public awareness initiatives, self-exclusion protocols, and responsible advertising guidelines to protect at-risk groups. Its participation in international forums allows it to compare its policies with benchmark standards and adopt emerging technological tools applied to identity verification, behavioral monitoring, and early detection of problematic practices.
The Argentine regulatory context is characterized by a federal model, where each jurisdiction establishes its own regulations and grants licenses within its territory. In the City of Buenos Aires, LOTBA regulates both land-based and online gambling, including sports betting and digital casinos, with requirements for KYC, age verification, geolocation, and interoperable self-exclusion systems. Comparatively, bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission, the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling in Spain, or Coljuegos in Colombia have strengthened advertising guidelines, audience segmentation, and technical controls to prevent underage access. This international trend, combined with mental health and consumer protection frameworks, drives regulators to tighten collaboration with health ministries, educational authorities, and technology platforms to prevent harm from a multisectoral perspective.
For the iGaming sector, the emphasis on preventing gambling among minors translates into higher compliance standards and investments in secure onboarding technology. Licensed operators must strengthen document and biometric verification processes, apply advertising segmentation filters that exclude under-18 audiences, and adopt risk pattern detection systems that alert to impersonation attempts or the use of third-party payment methods. The integration of Responsible Gambling messages, parental controls, and operational limits, combined with periodic audits and reporting to regulators, constitutes a key safeguard against possible infractions. In parallel, combating illegal gambling — which often bypasses age controls — requires coordinated measures such as payment blocking, actions against hosting, and site de-indexing to reduce minors’ exposure to unauthorized offers.
Looking ahead, LOTBA’s presence at this international mental health forum anticipates an agenda with more applied research, interinstitutional training, and updates to technical guidelines for operators and affiliates. Advances are expected in educational campaigns aimed at families and schools, early referral protocols, and best practices in product design that include specific safeguards for minors. Likewise, greater convergence between regulators and digital platforms is foreseeable to refine age control tools, as well as the strengthening of advertising codes that limit youth exposure. The continuation of these international cooperation instances should translate into more consistent protection frameworks, with performance indicators and impact evaluation that allow prevention policies to be adjusted dynamically.
Tags: Argentina, iGaming, Lotba, responsible gaming, lapsyconf, mental health