Buenos Aires horse racing agencies cleared to register online bettors in landmark omnichannel shift

The Province of Buenos Aires has authorised horse racing agencies to register bettors for licensed online gaming platforms, marking a key step in integrating traditional turf shops into Argentina’s regulated digital betting ecosystem.

The Province of Buenos Aires has taken a significant step in modernising its gambling framework, with the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos (IPLyC) approving a resolution that allows horse racing agencies to register customers as online bettors with licensed gaming operators. The order, published in early January, authorises agencies to sign adhesion contracts either directly with online licensees or via the Argentine Chamber of Turf Agencies (CAAT), after years of lobbying by the retail sector.

Under the new rules, turf shops across the province may set up a dedicated area within their premises where staff can help customers create accounts and access officially approved platforms. This registration space must not exceed 40 per cent of the agency’s total floor area and must be equipped with suitable technology to let players place bets online if they wish, while keeping the rest of the venue focused on traditional horse-race betting.

The IPLyC will define common branding and advertising standards for online licensees operating inside horse racing agencies, including how promotional materials are displayed, to ensure consistent messaging and compliance across the provincial network. Regulators describe the measure as a response to structural changes in the market driven by digitalisation, and say it is designed to expand the business model of turf agencies by formally linking them into the regulated online offer, rather than leaving them on the margins.

This latest move builds on a broader modernisation agenda in Buenos Aires Province. In recent years the IPLyC has rolled out a licensed online gaming regime under Decree 181/19, mandated biometric and facial-recognition checks on all authorised platforms to protect minors, and allowed QR-based electronic payments in betting venues while restricting the use of social-benefit cards for gambling. Together with the new resolution, these measures underline the province’s strategy: tighten consumer protection and identity controls, but also give land-based networks a defined role in channelling play toward regulated digital operators.