Buenos Aires Lawmakers Push Comprehensive Online Betting Law as 27 Gambling Proposals Come Under Review

Lawmakers in Buenos Aires Province are reviewing 27 gambling-related legislative files in an effort to create a broader framework covering online betting, advertising, player protection and the prevention of gambling harm, with particular attention to children and teenagers.

The Buenos Aires Province Chamber of Deputies has resumed work on a major review of online gambling regulation, with 27 legislative files currently under consideration by its Commission on Games of Chance, Lotteries and Gambling Harm Prevention.

The commission held its second ordinary meeting of 2026 on September 16. More than 50 gambling-related initiatives have been submitted over the past two years, covering online betting, advertising, responsible gambling and the protection of minors. Lawmakers are now trying to consolidate the most significant proposals into a common legislative framework.

Protection of children and teenagers is one of the central issues. Measures under discussion include mandatory player registration, biometric and liveness checks and stronger identity verification designed to prevent minors from opening or using betting accounts.

Several proposals also seek tighter controls on gambling advertising and promotion. These include restrictions on advertising through traditional and social media, betting sponsorships and promotional bonuses, as well as limits on online slot designs that could be considered particularly attractive to younger audiences.

Player-level controls are another major part of the debate. Lawmakers are considering automatic deposit limits, restrictions on session duration and betting frequency, as well as tighter controls on digital wallets used by minors. Some initiatives would also require betting websites to be blocked on school networks.

The proposals extend into public health. Measures include prevention programmes, expanded specialist treatment services and 24-hour assistance for people experiencing gambling-related problems. Buenos Aires already operates awareness initiatives focused on digital betting risks and adolescent gambling harm.

The legislative discussion is taking place alongside a separate political dispute over a new 2% levy on online gambling introduced by the provincial lottery authority. Opposition lawmakers have requested more information on how the resulting revenue will be used, although the 27 files under review cover a much broader agenda than taxation alone.

The commission, chaired by deputy Micaela Olivetto, is hearing from the authors of the different proposals before deciding which measures can be incorporated into a common text. Any unified bill would still need to progress through the legislature before becoming law.

If lawmakers can reach cross-party agreement, Buenos Aires could end up with one of Argentina's broadest provincial frameworks for online betting, combining commercial regulation with stronger age verification, advertising restrictions and public-health protections. The key challenge will be turning more than two dozen separate proposals into rules that are both enforceable and capable of keeping pace with the rapidly changing digital gambling market.