Buenos Aires Province proposes an online gambling ban, taking a cue from Brazil

Senator Federico Fagioli has introduced a bill that would repeal the online gaming chapter of Provincial Law No. 15079 in Buenos Aires Province and, in practice, shut down most iGaming in the jurisdiction. For PSPs and operators, the point is simple: this is not a stricter-regulation bill, but a market-closure bill.

1. The proposal would ban online casinos, slots, roulette, blackjack, poker, and any game where players can lose money in pursuit of a win. Only lotteries, quinielas, and raffles would remain permitted.
2. Fagioli said the initiative was inspired by Brazil’s ban on fixed-odds betting, introduced by Lula through a temporary decree on September 25.
3. Licensed operators would have to stop accepting new deposits, including baccarat deposits and gambling-related transfers. Advertising, promotions, bonuses, and sponsorships would also be prohibited, including both direct and indirect betting ads.
4. Players would need to withdraw all funds from their accounts, while operators would have to report unpaid winnings, pending bets, and balances to the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos.
5. The regulator would also be required to identify and block websites, apps, social media profiles, and other content offering online gambling. Fagioli argued that mobile devices removed the geographic and time barriers that once separated people from casinos.

Buenos Aires Province is currently the largest and fastest-growing iGaming market in Argentina. That makes the legislative process here worth watching closely: if this bill advances, the impact will be operational, not cosmetic.