Argentina’s national government has submitted a bill to Congress aimed at preventing gambling addiction and tightening controls over online betting markets.
Gambling in Argentina remains largely regulated by individual provinces and the city of Buenos Aires, leaving national lawmakers to address gaps around advertising, payments, illegal websites and minors.
The proposal, presented on 26 May 2026, seeks to organise the country’s virtual betting and online gambling market while restricting advertising and strengthening protections for children and adolescents.
The Health Ministry would take a central role under the bill, treating gambling disorder prevention as a national public health issue requiring coordinated action.
Through government agency Sedronar, the Health Ministry would be responsible for prevention, assistance and coordination across all 24 of Argentina’s jurisdictions.
The ministry would run awareness programmes targeting children, adolescents, families, schools and social organisations, while also training public officials and technical teams working on mental health.
The bill requires the ministry to produce epidemiological and statistical data measuring gambling addiction levels across the country, involving universities, public bodies and health specialists.
The government states the aim is to support evidence-based decisions and public campaigns focused on the risks of compulsive gambling behaviour.
Illegal operators would be targeted through financial, communications and domain controls involving the Central Bank, the National Securities Commission, Enacom and NIC Argentina.
Financial institutions, payment service providers and virtual-asset providers would be barred from serving unauthorised gambling operators under the proposed legislation.
NIC Argentina would gain powers to suspend, disable or cancel domains reported by gambling authorities as operating without proper authorisation.
The proposal would make it illegal to promote or sponsor unlicensed gambling sites through television, radio, billboards, social media networks and online platforms.
Licensed operators would face child-protection obligations, with platforms lacking effective age-verification technology potentially blocked from conducting financial operations.
The Central Bank would also be required to prohibit money transfers from accounts linked to minors directly into gambling operator accounts.
Advertisements from authorised operators could not feature or target minors, nor link gambling with economic, social or career success in any form.
The proposal would also amend the Criminal Code, setting prison terms of three to six years for anyone exploiting, organising or administering unauthorised betting systems.
A separate offence carrying two to four years in prison would apply to those providing financial, technological, advertising or digital services to unauthorised operators.
These reforms arrive after a long-running federal debate, with Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies having approved a related gambling harm bill in November 2024 by 139 votes to 36.
That bill was sent to the Senate, where committees resumed discussion of 28 related proposals in October 2025, including the Deputies-approved text.
