Buenos Aires' "mega law" on online betting reaches commission: 64 articles and a specialized prosecutor's office

The Chamber of Deputies of the province of Buenos Aires has begun to debate the so-called "mega law" on online betting. It is file D-3634/26-27, which establishes "a comprehensive regime for the prevention and approach of the risks associated with online betting". The Commission on Gambling, Lottery and Prevention of Gambling Addiction discussed it in an informative meeting on Wednesday, October 14, convened by its president, Deputy Micaela Olivetto.

The project is signed by Facundo Tignanelli, president of the ruling bloc, and Olivetto herself, both from Kirchnerist Peronism (Union for the Homeland / Homeland Force), along with thirteen other legislators. They presented it on October 7 and it has been sent to three commissions: Gambling Addiction, General Legislation and Budget.

Biometrics, session limits and end of bonuses

The text has 64 articles divided into seven titles. It modifies the provincial law on online betting and licenses, Law 15,079, and the law on gambling addiction and self-exclusion, Law 15,131. Its main measures are:

• Real-time facial biometric verification when opening the account, when logging in, on each deposit and withdrawal and on bets that exceed a threshold set by regulations.
• Game time limits: automatic logout after 60 minutes in a row, with one hour of lockout, and 24-hour lockout from the third login of the day.
• Prohibition of bonuses and promotions: welcome, free bets or spins, reloads, points and referrals.
• Veto of advertising in public spaces, transport and street furniture. In addition, each campaign will need prior authorization from the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (IPLyC), the Buenos Aires regulator, and must include the legend "Betting is not a game".
• Requirements for new licenses: 100% national capital and domicile in the province. Current licenses will be maintained until they expire.

Two funds and a prosecutor's office

The bill does not create a tax as such, but it does create two funds to be paid by the operators:

• A mental health and cyber-gambling fund, to which each operator must contribute the same amount as it spends on advertising, sponsorship and recruitment. It is distributed 70% among the 135 municipalities and 30% for the Ministry of Health.
• A fund for clubs and sports, which is nourished by 3% per month of the prizes paid.

To prosecute illegal gambling, the law creates the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Illegal Online Betting, based in La Plata, which will be able to act ex officio. Judges will be able to order within six hours the cessation of activity, the blocking of websites and the suspension of means of payment.

Debate with little opposition presence

At the meeting, Olivetto defended that "we do not want there to be a lack of instances of debate." The vice president of the commission, Diego Garciarena, of the Radical Civic Union, said he was "in agreement with the spirit of the law," although he called for changes in advertising, in the destination of the funds and in the design of the prosecutor's office.

The next step will be a plenary of commissions on Monday, October 19, with the presence of the president of the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos, Gonzalo Atanasof. The ruling party aspires to obtain the opinion there and take the text to the plenary session the next day, although it does not have its own quorum and the opposition has not yet set its position.

Other developments in Argentina

• Rosario has incorporated into its Advertising Code the prohibition of advertising games of chance and bets on public roads, transport and visible spaces from the street.
• San Juan finalizes the regulations to tender five online gambling licenses.
• In Mar del Plata, the Casino Sasso is in the hands of the alliance between the hotel union UTHGRA and Yukon Technology, with a 20-year concession.

The province of Buenos Aires is one of the main regulated online gambling markets in Latin America, since the opening of online licensing.