Buenos Aires applies a 2% tax to online gaming prizes

Buenos Aires province has started charging a 2% tax on prizes from certain games offered by its licensed online operators. For PSPs and operators in the high-risk stack, the important part is not the rate itself so much as the fact that an existing fiscal rule from 2018 is now being enforced in the online channel.

1. From this week, prizes earned on certain games on authorized online platforms in Buenos Aires are subject to a new 2% levy. The seven licensed operators in the jurisdiction are Bet365, Betsson, Betano, BetWarrior, Sportsbet, Bplay and Easybet.
2. Provincial government minister Carlos Bianco said the tax does not come from a newly approved law. It is based on the 2018 Ley de Ejercicio Fiscal, which had not previously been applied to online betting and gaming.
3. The tax applies specifically to juegos de resolución inmediata, a category that mainly covers digital slots or slot machines. It is not a blanket tax on all activity across the licensed platforms; it targets prizes in this specific segment.
4. The funds collected will go into the Fondo de Progreso e Inclusión Social (FOPIS). From there, the money is meant to be allocated to public policies in health, education and social development, as well as programs focused on preventing and treating problem gambling.

For high-risk payment providers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: Buenos Aires is tightening its approach to online gaming taxation without changing the licensing list, and the levy is attached to a narrow product class rather than the entire wallet flow.