The province of Buenos Aires (PBA) did not just recently legalize iGaming; it did so in 2019 with Law 15,079 and Decree 181, which established a licensing regime and confirmed the Provincial Lottery and Casino Institute as the enforcement authority. Since then, the market has operated under rules, audits, and a formal registry of applicants. In short, the foundational stage is over. The next step is refining the model.
This adjustment is already being discussed in the provincial senate. Recent bills aim to strengthen controls to protect minors and regulate advertising: biometric identification for access, visible warning labels, prevention campaigns, and more tools against illegal gambling. These measures send the right signal in a context of accelerated digital adoption and aggressive marketing on social media.
Meanwhile, the Buenos Aires Lottery has implemented standardized signs of legality: the mandatory use of the “.bet.ar” domain, age verification protocols, and a list of authorized gambling operators within the territory. For users, this means traceability and an easy way to distinguish legal offers from illegal ones.
Why does this “version 2.0” matter? First, because the market exists and is growing. Estimates suggest that online gaming revenue in Argentina will reach around USD 1.57 billion by 2025, with continued growth expected. Without enforcement, a significant portion of this revenue migrates to unregulated operators, which increases the risk of fraud, money laundering, and harm to minors. Second, raising the standard in PBA spills over into other jurisdictions. What Buenos Aires demands, many end up replicating.
The elephant in the room is the regulatory mosaic. Argentina has a federal system, so each province makes its own decisions. A national bill passed the Chamber of Deputies at the end of 2024, but consideration by the Senate was postponed in 2025. The result is that local advances, such as those in PBA, coexist with gaps and disparities in taxes, advertising, and payment methods between jurisdictions. Until a national law is passed, interprovincial coordination will remain a challenge for operators and providers.
What should industry players do today? Operators should design compliance “by design” with enhanced KYC, configurable deposit limits, self-exclusion, and payment traceability, and prepare for biometric verification and stricter marketing regulations.
Affiliates and media should adopt advertising codes of conduct that align with responsible gaming. These codes should include strict 18+ segmentation and blackout of content for minors. Technology providers should prioritize solutions that facilitate geographic blocking, age controls, and real-time anomaly detection.
Buenos Aires has already enacted regulations; now, it seeks to raise the standard. If the package of measures is successful, we will see a safer ecosystem, with less room for illegal operators and better conditions for responsible investment. In short: clear rules and strict enforcement with no shortcuts.
