Argentina – Buenos Aires regulator urges stronger action against illegal online gambling
Buenos Aires IPLyC president Gonzalo Atanasof told provincial lawmakers that illegal online gambling operates outside state oversight and can permit underage access, as a committee examines tighter safeguards.
Buenos Aires provincial gambling regulator Gonzalo Atanasof told provincial legislators that stronger measures are needed against illegal online gambling, warning that unauthorised platforms operate outside state oversight and can allow minors to bet. Atanasof, president of the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos, addressed the Chamber of Deputies’ Gambling, Lottery and Gambling Addiction Prevention Committee, chaired by Micaela Olivetto.
According to a regulator statement published on October 20, Atanasof said about 80% of online gambling takes place on illegal sites, which he described as the main problem. The statement did not explain how the estimate was calculated. He said enforcement authorities need specific tools because such operations are often based abroad and are complex to detect and dismantle.
The committee is examining proposals that would introduce real-time facial biometric verification, session limits, advertising restrictions, a ban on bonuses and other customer-acquisition incentives, and a specialised prosecutor’s office targeting illegal online betting. Atanasof said licensed operators must meet strict identity-verification rules, including biometric validation and cross-checks with the national persons registry, RENAPER.
