Mendoza proposes mandatory biometrics for entering betting venues
Typing a document number would no longer be sufficient. The bill presented by Deputy Verónica Valverde in Mendoza requires instant facial or biometric verification every time someone logs into an online gambling platform, to confirm at that moment that the authorized adult, and not another person, is on the other side of the screen.
The target is clear. The initiative aims to close the loophole currently used by minors under 18 to place bets: a third party's account. If the regulation is approved, neither sworn declarations of legal age nor manual entry of personal data would continue to be valid, as they are insufficient to maintain the age barrier.
The scope is broad, and therein lies the most interesting point. The provisions are of public order and apply to any person or company that exploits, operates, markets, or promotes virtual gambling in Mendoza territory, with or without official concession.
At the same time, the text addresses privacy concerns. It prohibits platforms from storing biometric data, obliges them to delete every record, and bans the sale of such information.
The legislator's reasoning distinguishes between two often-confused concepts. For her, playing is something recreational, free, and necessary for healthy development and the construction of subjectivity, whereas online betting involves signing financial risk contracts, with an impact on assets and serious consequences for mental health, including problem gambling.
The sanctioning regime has three levels. Fines that increase according to the severity and recurrence, suspension or revocation of the license to operate in the province, and disqualification from participating in future public gambling tenders in Mendoza.
The enforcement authority would be the Ministry of Education, Culture, Childhoods and DGE, a choice that reinforces the focus on child protection above regulatory aspects. Its tasks include auditing compliance with double-blind protocols and non-retention of biometric data, establishing a fast track for reporting illegal sites, and agreeing with internet providers to block infringing domains in the province.
Currently, seven platforms operate legally in Mendoza: BetWarrior, Super7, bplay, Codere, Casino Club Online, Betano, and Sportsbet. If the bill passes, the province would be the first in Argentina to require biometrics at each login, a higher standard than jurisdictions that verify identity only at the time of registration, and it aligns with a discussion that has also recently opened in Colombia with the proposal for digital identity.
Tags: Verónica Valverde, Biometric verification, Online betting in Mendoza, Minors protection