- Argentina’s government presented a bill to prevent gambling addiction and regulate online betting.
- The proposal gives the Health Ministry a central role in prevention, treatment, and public awareness.
- The bill proposes prison terms for illegal betting operators and those who help them with essential services.
Argentina’s national government has sent a new bill to Congress aimed at preventing gambling addiction and regulating online betting platforms. The proposal seeks to organize the digital gambling market, limit advertising, and strengthen protections for children and teenagers.
Notably, the bill also targets the financial rails behind illegal gambling. It would prohibit banks, payment providers, and virtual asset service providers from offering services to unauthorized betting operators.
Argentina Targets Online Gambling Risks
Argentina’s government presented the Prevention of Gambling Addiction and Regulation of Online Gambling Bill to Congress on May 26. The proposal treats compulsive gambling as a public health issue and gives the Ministry of Health a central role in the national response.
Under the bill, the Health Ministry would work through SEDRONAR, Argentina’s national agency for drug and addiction policies. It would coordinate prevention, assistance, and public awareness strategies with all 24 jurisdictions across the country.
The ministry would also develop education programs for children, teenagers, families, schools, and social organizations. Additionally, it would train public officials and technical teams involved in mental health and problematic consumption policies.
The proposal also calls for stronger data collection. Health authorities would produce epidemiological and statistical information to measure the impact of gambling addiction and support evidence-based decisions.
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Crypto and Payment Services Face Ban
The bill includes a direct financial enforcement section aimed at illegal betting platforms. It proposes coordination between the Central Bank of Argentina, the National Securities Commission, ENACOM, and NIC Argentina to block access to technical and economic resources used by unauthorized operators.
Financial institutions, payment service providers, and virtual asset service providers would be prohibited from serving illegal gambling companies. That includes crypto-related providers, which means unauthorized betting platforms could lose access to digital asset payment routes.
Meanwhile, NIC Argentina could suspend, disable, or remove domains reported by authorities in cases involving illegal gambling. The bill also bans the promotion, sponsorship, and distribution of illegal gambling platforms across television, radio, outdoor advertising, social media, and digital channels.
Any media outlet, agency, company, or content creator promoting a gambling platform would need to verify that the operator has official authorization. The proposal also bans the display of unauthorized gambling website addresses in any media format.
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Minors Get Stronger Protection
The proposal places special focus on children and teenagers. Authorized gambling platforms that lack effective age-verification systems would face restrictions on financial operations. The bill also requires the Central Bank to block money transfers from accounts linked to minors to gambling operators.
Advertising rules would also tighten. Licensed operators could not use minors in ads or direct promotions toward them. They also could not present gambling as a path to economic, professional, or social success.
Moreover, the bill proposes changes to Argentina’s Penal Code. People who operate, manage, or organize unauthorized betting systems could face three to six years in prison.
A separate criminal offense would apply to those who provide essential financial, technological, advertising, or digital services to illegal operators. That offense would carry prison terms of two to four years.
The bill now moves to Congress for debate. If approved, it would create Argentina’s first specific national framework aimed at online gambling addiction, illegal betting platforms, youth protection, and the use of crypto or payment services by unauthorized operators.
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