The Buenos Aires Chamber of Official Lottery Agents and Related Entities (Coalab) confirmed that regulated sports betting will be introduced at official lottery outlets across Buenos Aires province in the near term.
The announcement came after the organization's leadership addressed the sector's current state and the challenges posed by unregulated digital gambling.
Marcelo Iglesias, President of Coalab said: “The decision has already been made and everything is in motion so that, as soon as possible, we can have sports betting at lottery agencies.”
Claudio Marino, Secretary of Coalab, described the model as a modernized version of the Prode, a sports prediction pool that was a fixture of Argentinian gambling culture for decades. In its initial stage, bettors will only be able to wager on the three standard outcomes of a match: home win, draw or away win.
Beyond the product rollout, Iglesias and Marino spoke about what they characterized as a wider crisis in illegal online gambling. They pointed to the proliferation of unlicensed betting platforms accessible via mobile devices as both a public health and regulatory failure, noting that minors are regularly placing bets on their phones during school breaks.
Iglesias said: “Today, kids are gambling during recess instead of going to kick a ball; they spend the whole time betting on their phones.”
The officials drew a clear line between the regulated and unregulated segments, arguing that licensed agencies operate under strict controls that prevent underage access and that revenues generated through legal channels flow back into social programs.
The sector itself, however, is navigating a difficult economic period, with agencies reportedly struggling and some putting their businesses up for sale amid a broader consumption downturn in Argentina.
Buenos Aires Province Lottery President, Gonzalo Atanasof, said the move forms part of a broader modernization strategy aimed at introducing new gaming verticals
