Zona de Azar Argentina – Argentina: Penal Complaint Against Influencers

Argentina.- July 31, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The Argentine Chamber of Casinos, Bingos and Annexes (CASCBA in its Spanish acronym) took a new step to combat illegal online gambling in our country and thus take care of minors: it denounced 18 influencers for being participants in the crime of clandestine gambling.
Flor Vignia, with 5.5 million followers on Instagram, Alma Galarza Berezowski (3.5), Sasha Antonella Ferro (1.7), ‘Los Displicentes’ (2.3 million subscribers on Youtube) and Flavio Azzaro (more than 500 thousand), among others, were criminally denounced for engaging in illegal online gambling on Instagram, X, Youtube and/or Twitch.

Illegal sites, which operate without a licence and without paying taxes in our country, allow the entry of minors and this generates great harm in society. In addition, they are unsafe for other consumers and unfair competition for sites that comply with regulations and pay high taxes to the different states. To differentiate one from the other you only have to pay attention to the domain name: the legal ones are all those ending in .bet.ar. All others are illegal (.com, .com.ar, .net, .la, etc).
The decision to take legal action against these influencers is based on the responsibility to maintain a safe digital environment. By using their platforms to promote illegal activities, these individuals are not only breaking the law, but are also compromising the public’s trust in the regulations put in place to protect consumers in general and minors in particular.

Cooperation and transparency on the part of social networks, virtual wallets and digital platforms are critical to prevent these types of illegal practices from continuing to target our children.

This initiative is in addition to the more than 350 reports of illegal sites and the awareness campaign launched during the Copa America focused on highlighting the advantages of playing on legal online gambling sites, which are taxed, have controls to avoid excesses and do not allow minors to enter. It has the support of the Argentine State Lotteries Association (ALEA) and the active participation of the Buenos Aires Lottery (LOTBA).

The denunciation is a fundamental step towards the protection of minors, who can only gamble on illegal sites, and of consumers’ rights. The impact of these actions goes beyond the immediate legal implications: it seeks to send a strong message to the digital community and the online entertainment industry. The promotion of illegal and dangerous activities cannot be tolerated and those who choose to engage in such practices will face legal consequences. Let’s take care of our children.

Edited by @pererarte   www.zonadeazar.com