Argentina's executive branch formally submitted a problem gambling and online betting bill to the Senate, presenting it as a public health initiative aimed at combating illegal platforms and restricting minors' access to gambling.
The proposal, however, immediately drew criticism from opposition lawmakers, who argue it avoids imposing stricter controls on licensed operators.
Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni first announced the initiative on May 22 through social media, saying the government would send Congress a legislative package that also includes a Super RIGI measure, a lobbying regulation and reforms to front-of-pack food labeling requirements.
Under the bill, enforcement responsibilities would be divided across several agencies. Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (Enacom) would block illegal content and platforms, while the Central Bank would prevent financial transactions linked to unauthorized operators and restrict gambling-related payments from accounts belonging to minors. NIC Argentina would oversee domain takedowns in coordination with jurisdictional authorities.
Financial institutions, payment providers and virtual asset operators would also be required to implement age-verification systems and monitor transactions connected to illegal gambling sites.
The proposal establishes prison sentences of three to six years for unlicensed operators and two to four years for those supporting illegal platforms through financial, technological or advertising services. Advertising agencies, influencers and media outlets promoting unauthorized sites could also face legal liability.
The measure arrives amid an ongoing political dispute over gambling regulation in Argentina. In November 2025, the Chamber of Deputies approved a separate problem gambling bill that remains stalled in the Senate. The executive's proposal does not include several of the lower house initiative's most restrictive measures, particularly on advertising.
The Deputies-approved bill would ban online betting advertisements across television, radio, social media, outdoor advertising, podcasts and sports uniforms. By contrast, the government's proposal uses broader language and does not replicate those restrictions for licensed operators.
Opposition lawmaker Maximiliano Ferraro accused the government of attempting to bury what he described as "scandalous lobbying" by licensed online gambling companies, arguing that the initiative focuses heavily on illegal operators while remaining more permissive toward authorized platforms.
The government, meanwhile, has defended the proposal as a comprehensive response to problem gambling. The bill expands the responsibilities of Sedronar and the Health Ministry, mandating awareness campaigns, educational programs, public-sector training and epidemiological data collection related to gambling addiction and risk behaviors.
More than a quarter of Argentinian secondary school students placed bets during the past year, with online gambling showing the highest participation rates, according to Sedronar's Observatorio Argentino de Drogas
