The Cámara de Diputados de la Provincia de Buenos Aires has established a new specialized regulator focused on gambling and betting policy.
Approved during the first session of the legislative year under lawmaker Alejandro Dichiara, the Commission on Gambling, Lottery, and Prevention of Gambling Addiction is designed to address the “substantial accumulation” of legislative initiatives in the sector.
Comprehensive Regulatory Mandate
The new regulator is mandated to supervise and provide opinions on all forms of gambling in Buenos Aires, including land-based betting, online platforms, and new technologies. Its oversight extends to advertising, promotion, and sponsorship related to these activities. This thorough approach is reflective of the booming online betting industry in Argentina’s largest province.
Focus on Addiction Prevention and Minor Protection
A core priority for the commission is the development of legislation and agreements aimed at the prevention and treatment of problem gambling. Lawmakers emphasized a commitment to the “integral protection of children and adolescents,” reflecting widespread concern over minor exposure to betting advertisements.
Parallel to the commission’s launch, regional authorities are drafting a framework to regulate advertising from legal online gambling platforms. Gonzalo Atanasof, President of the Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos, noted that legal platforms, representing 15% of the market, have excessive visibility that can drive gambling desire among minors.
“The legal platforms also have excessive advertising, and that generates the desire to gamble among different minors… This is one of the issues we are working on: a regulation of advertising by legal platforms in the province of Buenos Aires”.
By centralizing discussion and focusing on social safeguards, Buenos Aires is shifting toward a more structured and preventive governance model that may influence national conversations on responsible gaming.
