Buenos Aires lawmaker pushes stalled online gambling bills

Buenos Aires Deputy Diego Garciarena has renewed calls for the provincial legislature to advance bills regulating online gambling and introducing measures to address youth gambling behavior, warning that delays are prolonging the absence of a clear regulatory framework.

The UCR + Cambio Federal bloc leader urged lawmakers Thursday to move forward with proposals that have remained stalled despite increasing attention on the growth of online betting across Buenos Aires Province. Garciarena argued that legislative action is needed to update existing rules and strengthen safeguards for minors.

Garciarena said: "Online gambling is affecting thousands of Argentinians, including minors. There is no room for delays or technical explanations: the time is now."

One of the central proposals is the adoption of mandatory biometric recognition systems for player verification, included in several bills currently under committee review. Garciarena noted that such technology is already widely available and could serve as a practical starting point for regulatory modernization.

Garciarena said: "The impact on kids is real, and it is happening today. The response has to be immediate."

In May, lawmakers consolidated 13 separate bills through the Addiction Prevention Committee, though the unified project still awaits debate in the General Legislation and Budget and Taxes committees.

A 2024 bill from the Radical Party calls for biometric validation on betting platforms and stricter advertising requirements for operators on media and social networks.

The Senate advanced a broader gaming bill in 2024 with support from licensed betting agents, though the measure still faces an extensive committee process. Governor Axel Kicillof's administration, meanwhile, has established an interministerial working group to develop public policy tools addressing adolescent gambling.

School authorities from the Association of Private Education Institutes of Argentina reported earlier this year that gambling-related issues are increasingly visible in Buenos Aires classrooms. The unified project under consideration includes updates to gaming laws, awareness programs, online betting regulation and technological mechanisms to prevent underage access.