A Buenos Aires Province senator has renewed efforts to pass youth gambling prevention legislation, accusing lawmakers of stalling protections despite rising online betting exposure among minors.
Laura Clark, a senator from Unión por la Patria, reintroduced her proposal after a similar initiative lost parliamentary status in 2024. The renewed push comes as the provincial legislature has not activated a bicameral commission created to unify gambling regulation and prevention initiatives.
The bill establishes a framework for digital citizenship as a prevention tool, recognizing digital environments as spaces where identities and social practices are formed. The legislation targets risks associated with online betting, virtual casinos and randomized reward systems in video games and digital platforms.
Clark's proposal creates an Adolescent Gambling Prevention Program in Buenos Aires Province for students aged 12 to 18 in both public and private schools. The program aims to promote conscious use of digital platforms and raise awareness of risks related to betting and gambling in virtual environments.
The legislation is grounded in children's rights under the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and social family rights in the Buenos Aires constitution. It frames youth gambling addiction as a social, cultural and educational issue requiring active public policy intervention rather than treating it as an isolated or individual phenomenon.
The program would develop tools for administrators, teachers and educational communities to address youth gambling cases comprehensively. It includes identifying risks from online casinos, sports betting and loot boxes in video games that replicate slot machine mechanics.
Clark's bill designates the first week of September as Provincial Adolescent Gambling Prevention Week, with awareness campaigns and outreach activities. The implementing authority would provide ongoing teacher training, produce annual public impact reports and coordinate with provincial agencies overseeing education, health, childhood and culture.
Legislative progress in Buenos Aires Province has stalled despite the governing coalition controlling majorities in both chambers and presiding over the Lottery and Casino Institute, currently led by Gonzalo Atanasof. The lack of movement has drawn criticism given widespread calls for action to protect minors from expanding gambling risks.
The unified opposition project includes express prohibition of minors participating in digital gambling, mandatory identity verification systems using biometric validation and facial recognition, and payment method regulations preventing virtual wallets linked to minor accounts from being used on betting platforms.
The consolidated bill also addresses advertising restrictions for online betting targeting youth, operator and license regulation, control and sanction mechanisms, and incorporates concepts not currently covered by existing law such as online youth gambling addiction and loot boxes.
Laura Clark has served in the Buenos Aires Province Senate since 2023 and sits on the Addiction Prevention Commission
