Zona de Azar Argentina – The Government of Santa Fe Denounces Illegal Gambling Websites

Argentina.-  27 de Mayo de 2024 www.zonadeazar.com   The Government of the province of Santa Fe has filed a complaint with the Public Prosecution Ministry regarding the existence of 273 illegal gambling websites. These platforms are unregulated, allow minors to place bets, and cause significant economic harm to public administration.

The complaint, signed by Ministers Victoria Tejeda (Equality and Human Development), José Goity (Education), and the Executive Vice President of the Social Assistance Fund-Santa Fe Lottery (CAS), Daniel Di Lena, requests the shutdown and blocking of these sites and the seizure of the bank accounts of their operators.

According to the CAS, these sites allow betting outside the law, violating the Penal Code and current gambling regulations, without the approval of the competent authority. The platforms enable an indeterminate number of residents, including minors, to access gambling in violation of regulations.

The signatories of the complaint highlighted that the lack of control over minors’ access and their exposure time on these pages generates an additional problem. Di Lena mentioned that studies indicate an exponential increase in minors gambling online since the pandemic and during the Qatar World Cup.

Easy access to online betting, promoted by advertising targeting young people, can have negative effects on the physical and mental health of children and adolescents. Di Lena reminded that official gambling sites in Argentina must have the “.bet.ar” domain and comply with local regulations.

The document also emphasized that any gambling in Santa Fe must have the authorization and oversight of the CAS, which is not the case with the reported sites.

The complaint mentions the negative impact on public finances, noting that illegal gambling represents about 80% of online gambling and causes an estimated economic loss of over ARS 2 billion per month. Additionally, these activities do not contribute taxes or fees, increasing the economic damage.

In light of this situation, the provincial government has requested that the Public Prosecution Ministry urgently shut down and block the 273 websites, as well as the bank accounts associated with them, and seize the money deposited, prohibiting any financial operations related to these illegal sites.

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