Argentina’s lower house gives first approval to bill regulating online betting and gambling ads

Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies has approved a bill aimed at preventing gambling addiction and regulating online gambling and betting, sending it to the Senate. For PSPs and payment teams, the interesting part is not the headline ban on ads; it is the proposed payment rule set, including a ban on credit cards for online betting.

1. The bill passed the lower house with 139 votes in favor, 36 against, and 59 abstentions. It was developed with input from more than 150 legislators across five committees: Prevention of Addictions and Control of Narcotics; Social Action and Public Health; Communications and Informatics; Criminal Legislation; and Families, Children and Youth. The text had already received a majority report in November after several months of debate.
2. According to the draft, the goal is to regulate the advertising and promotion of online betting platforms and to strengthen prevention and assistance policies around gambling addiction, with a stated focus on public health protection for adults, children, and adolescents. Deputy Rogelio Iparraguirre, vice-chair of the Prevention of Addictions and Control of Narcotics Committee, said the proposal was the result of a consensus process with Deputy Mónica Frade and pointed to research on the impact of online betting on Argentine families.
3. The bill would prohibit online betting advertising across media outlets, social networks, public spaces, and through influencers, streamers, and journalists. It also bans welcome bonuses, prohibits sponsorship of sports teams and athletes by betting operators, and blocks advertising in stadiums, sports events, concerts, and cultural festivals.
4. On access controls, authorized platforms would have to implement biometric identity and age verification to prevent minors from entering. The draft also requires mandatory responsible-gambling messages and bars certain groups from betting, including employees and shareholders of gaming operators, athletes, coaches, sports officials, referees, judges, people listed in the national self-exclusion register (ReNA), and registered child-support debtors.
5. For payments, the bill removes the option to use credit cards for online betting. If it becomes law, only debit cards — subject to daily limits set by banks — and e-wallets with available balance and operation limits could be used. The draft also prohibits the use of accounts vi...