Argentina: Online Gambling Legalization Still in the Making in Córdoba

In Argentina, there are 23 provincial jurisdictions and each of them is allowed to legalize, regulate or restrict online gambling activities. Besides those jurisdictions, there is one autonomous city – Buenos Aires. So far, nine provinces have legalized and launched online gambling activities. On the other hand, more than a dozen jurisdictions are making some progress as some of them have legalized the activity but are yet to launch it and others are still in the process of legalization.

More Argentinian Provinces Are Eager to Legalize Online Gambling

The autonomous region, the City of Buenos Aires legalized online gambling last year. However, the region hasn’t launched the activity yet. Similarly, in Buenos Aires province, the activity was legalized in January this year, but it is yet to be launched.

Another province that is still in the process of getting its gambling framework up and running is Córdoba. Earlier this month, lawmakers introduced a bill that proposes the legalization of online gambling in the province. Besides legalizing online gambling activities such as slots and table games, the new bill proposes the legalization of lotteries as well as sports betting. Licenses are expected to last for 20 years but some restrictions may apply for overseas operators. The new bill proposes strict rules for gambling advertising as well.

Legalizing the Market Would Help Player Protection, Responsible Gambling

Similar to the US market, legalization of the activity will bring fresh tax revenue for the province (and individual provinces for that matter). Moreover, once Córdoba sets regulatory requirements and licensing for online gambling, the share of the black market will be reduced. This will also result in better protection for the consumers.

But that’s not all. As in any regulated online gambling market, operators would have to introduce methods for player protection and responsible gambling. Such restrictions would include the possibility of players to self-exclude and set deposit limits. Considering that the bill is yet to be approved, the responsibilities of licensees in Córdoba may undergo further changes before the legalization of online gambling in the region.

Undoubtedly, the online gambling market in Argentina holds significant potential, considering the 45 million population of the country. Major industry players have already seen the potential of Argentina, as well as the whole Latin American (LatAm) region and have already taken started their expansion. Looking to develop within the region, EvenBet hired the services of Roman Bogoduhov last month. Another operator has also taken a similar approach. Back in November, Pariplay appointed Jorge Morales to lead the company’s expansion within the LatAm and Caribbean region.