Buenos Aires Calls for National Action Against Illegal Gambling
Argentina.- 29 July 2026 www.zonadeazar.com Gonzalo Atanasof, President of the Buenos Aires Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos (IPLyC), has said that combating illegal gambling requires a coordinated national policy involving regulators, judicial authorities, public bodies, technology companies and financial-service providers.
His comments followed the blocking of 537 unauthorised betting websites after an investigation conducted by the San Isidro Judicial Department’s Specialist Cybercrime Prosecutor’s Office with technical support from the provincial regulator.
News Details
The investigation began with cyber-patrol activity used to identify unlicensed platforms. Only seven online operators are authorised in Buenos Aires Province, and their websites use the .bet.ar domain extension, providing an initial means of distinguishing legal services from illegal sites.
IPLyC collected the technical information and submitted the corresponding complaints to judicial authorities. In addition to the 537 blocked pages, another case involving 300 sites was presented to specialist prosecutors in Lomas de Zamora, La Matanza and San Isidro.
The filings requested not only the interruption of access to the platforms but also the identification of their owners and administrators. Authorities are examining potential additional offences, including money laundering and tax evasion.
Industry Context
The institute serves as the regulatory authority, identifies licensed platforms and provides technical expertise during investigations. Specialist prosecutors conduct the criminal proceedings and request judicial measures, including domain blocking through Argentina’s National Communications Agency.
The provincial regulator has submitted another 120 complaints, which led to 50 raids and the dismantling of organisations operating illegal gambling sites. More than 100 reports have also been filed against influencers promoting unauthorised betting through Facebook and Instagram under an agreement involving Meta and Argentina’s association of state lotteries.
According to the estimates cited by Atanasof, approximately 80% of the online gambling supply available on the internet may be illegal. These platforms do not pay taxes, lack adequate identity and anti-money-laundering controls and may facilitate access by minors.
Statements
Atanasof said that reporting websites individually was insufficient against organisations that continually change domains, use servers based overseas and deploy technology to evade controls.
He argued that the problem could not be addressed by one jurisdiction alone and called for a national policy coordinating provinces, the federal government, judicial authorities and regulatory bodies.
He also highlighted the need for closer cooperation with digital wallets, banks, payment processors, search engines, social-media platforms and technology companies to disrupt the financing and promotion of illegal operators.
Next Steps or Impact
The strategy will need to combine faster website-blocking procedures with investigations into those responsible, disruption of payment channels, removal of advertising and digital-literacy campaigns.
Federal coordination will be essential because many platforms operate from overseas and use resources that extend beyond the individual powers of provincial regulators.
IPLyC will continue promoting educational initiatives to help consumers recognise authorised domains and understand the risks associated with unlicensed gambling websites.
Edited by: @_fonta
