Buenos Aires lawmaker seeks time limits on online betting apps

Buenos Aires provincial deputy Mayra Mendoza presented a bill to set operating rules for online betting platforms licensed in the province, including a 60-minute cap per playing session and mandatory facial recognition to confirm a user's identity.

Under the proposal, once a user reaches the one-hour session limit, the system would have to close the account automatically and block a new login for at least one hour. 

The bill also limits logins at three per user every 24 hours, after which the platform would have to block access until the following day and display a responsible gambling warning.

Platforms would need to show elapsed time and money wagered continuously during play, and issue alerts that interrupt navigation when a user's behavior suggests a loss of control.

The bill would also make biometric facial recognition mandatory to log into betting platforms, make deposits or withdrawals, and place bets above a minimum amount to be set by regulation.

In the bill's presentation, Mendoza said: "Cyber gambling addiction has established itself as a complex problem that cuts across all age groups, manifesting with particular intensity among adolescents and young adults."

Operators that fail to comply could face fines, a temporary suspension of their license or permanent revocation of their authorization to operate in the province. 

The bill also proposes a permanent working group within the legislature's Gambling, Lottery and Ludopathy Prevention Committee, including civil society organizations and specialists, to monitor implementation.

The bill was referred to that committee, which was created during the chamber's February session and is chaired by lawmaker Micaela Olivetto. 

The panel has not yet issued a ruling on any of the dozens of pending bills addressing compulsive gambling and underage betting in the province.