🪗 Argentina🇦🇷: Buenos Aires province lawmakers begin debating a MEGA-BILL to combat gambling

🪗 Argentina🇦🇷: Buenos Aires province lawmakers begin debating a MEGA-BILL to combat gambling

The short version: as expected, the proposal includes restrictions, oversight and educational measures.

➡️ "Mega-bill" is not our invention: that is the term used by provincial lawmakers themselves to reflect the scale of the proposed restrictions. The meeting on October 14 focused on establishing a "Comprehensive System for the Prevention and Control of Risks Associated with Online Gambling." On October 19, the head of the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos will present their position on the bill, and on October 20, the initiative will be put to a vote.

➡️ We have already covered the substance of this proposal, but it is worth revisiting. So, what changes could lie ahead❓

➡️ Stricter oversight of licensed platforms:

🔵 Unique, non-transferable accounts;
🔵 Biometric authentication when logging in, depositing funds, withdrawing money and placing high-value bets. The proposal includes real-time facial recognition;
🔵 Deposit limits and access restrictions;
🔵 Session time limits: Each session will last 60 minutes and close automatically when the time expires, followed by a one-hour break. After three logins in a single day, access will be blocked for the next 24 hours;
🔵 Mandatory time notifications: Operators must inform users how much time has elapsed while access remains available;
🔵 Access restrictions: Betting platforms will be inaccessible from government offices, educational institutions and public spaces under provincial jurisdiction.

➡️ Restrictions on advertising and incentives:

🔴 Regulatory approval for all advertising;
🔴 Ban on campaigns targeting minors;
🔴 Advertising ban in educational institutions, media, content and platforms aimed at teenagers, as well as during children's programming hours;
🔴 Advertising ban on roads, in public spaces and in private spaces accessible to the public;
🔴 Ban on using the word “game” or presenting betting as a form of entertainment or leisure;
🔴 Ban on bonuses, credit, loyalty points, prizes and financial incentives linked to betting volume or frequency;
🔴 Mandatory warning messages: All advertising must include the notices “Participation prohibited for persons under 18” and “Betting is not a game,” along with contact details for support services for people experiencing gambling-related problems.

➡️ Establishment of a specialized gambling prosecution office (FEAIL):

The proposed body would:

🟣 Operate as a unit of the Attorney General's Office of Buenos Aires province;
🟣 Have the authority to initiate investigations;
🟣 Take action when objective evidence of violations exists;
🟣 Receive reports of illegal activities within 24 hours, with the regulator required to notify the office within that timeframe.

➡️ Mental health and gambling addiction prevention:

⬆️ Creation of a Provincial Fund for Health Protection and Gambling Addiction Prevention, financed by contributions from operators equivalent to 100% of their advertising and customer acquisition expenses.

➡️ Support for sports:

⬆️ Creation of a separate fund to support local clubs, financed through monthly contributions equivalent to 3% of prize money.

➡️ Monitoring and oversight:

🔵 Creation of a provincial online betting monitoring system under the regulator's supervision.

➡️ Context: there are only 7 legal gambling platforms in the province, and they face a substantial tax burden. Meanwhile, the regulator has already submitted more than 800 blocking requests targeting illegal websites that allowed minors to place bets. In addition, the average age at which people start gambling, despite all the measures, is 13 in Argentina.

#news #Argentina #gambling #betting

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