Senate to advance gambling addiction prevention & online regulation
The proposal was approved in the Chamber of Deputies in November 2024 and establishes a comprehensive framework to prevent gambling addiction and regulate betting through digital means. Among its main articles are broad restrictions on advertising and sponsorship, the elimination of welcome bonuses, and biometric verification requirements to confirm users' identity and legal age.
The text also provides for the creation of a National Self-Exclusion Registry (Rena), establishes tools for time control and spending limits for players, and strengthens the powers of the Judiciary and the Central Bank to block illegal platforms and unauthorized transactions. Additionally, it declares the fight against gambling addiction as a national interest policy, promoting educational campaigns and training in schools.
To reach a ruling, the call will also include the consideration of 18 other projects submitted by senators from different blocs, with the intention of agreeing on a single text or introducing changes that require its return to the Chamber of Deputies. The chairwoman of the Health Commission, Lucía Corpacci, had already warned about the need for the commissions to converge in a plenary session so that the project does not remain stalled.
The focus on Tuesday will be on the possibility of issuing a favorable ruling that allows progress towards final approval. If that support is not obtained, the project will become void and the entire debate will have to restart in the next legislative period, postponing a long-demanded regulation.
Brief review of the project approved in the Chamber of Deputies
In the lower house, the initiative received 140 affirmative votes, supported by the Civic Coalition, Union for the Homeland, Democracy Forever, Federal Encounter, and the left. The blocs of the PRO, the UCR, and the libertarians chose to abstain, arguing that the project implied excessive regulation.
Among the most notable measures are:
- Prohibition of access to online betting platforms for minors under 18, with biometric verification connected to the National Registry of Persons (RENAPER).
- Prohibition of advertising for betting and online games on social networks, audiovisual media, public billboards, cultural or sports events, as well as sponsorship of teams, athletes, or through influencers.
- Elimination of welcome bonuses, and limitations on the use of certain payment methods to prevent bets from being financed through credit.
- Obligation for operators to implement responsible gaming mechanisms (alerts for time and spending, assistance channels) and the creation of the Rena for those wishing to self-exclude from platforms.
- Powers for the Judiciary to order the blocking of unauthorized platforms and for the Central Bank to block transactions to such illegal platforms.
During the debate in the Chamber of Deputies, an exception was also incorporated: advertising allowed in authorized gaming halls, provided it displayed the legend “Compulsive gambling is harmful to your health and that of your family.”
Tags: Argentina, regulation, iGaming Argentina, Argentine gambling addiction, online betting Argentina