EGR has partnered with 4H Agency to bring its readers a series of long-form articles on the requirements and key facts and figures for a host of markets throughout the world.
Tapping into 4H’s talent pool of experts, the articles will outline the regulatory framework and entry requirements for interested parties, as well as an insider’s view on how the market could shape up in the coming years.
Here, the series continues with Argentina, with commentary from 4H partner and head of consulting department, Ivan Kurochkin.
Market overview
Argentina is the second-largest country in South America. With a population of approximately 45.7 million and a GDP of ~$633.3bn, Argentina stands as one of the continent’s most influential economies. The country boasts a high rate of internet penetration – nearly 89.2% of the population – which has supported the expansion of its digital sectors, including online gambling.
As a federal republic, Argentina is composed of 23 provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires. Each of these jurisdictions maintains its own governmental authority, including the power to regulate gambling independently from the federal government. This has resulted in a fragmented but dynamic regulatory landscape, where each province adopts its own approach to both land-based and online gambling.
The gambling sector in Argentina is well established, with a GGR of approximately ~$821.5m recorded in 2023. In recent years, momentum has grown toward harmonising the regulatory framework on a national level, although provincial autonomy remains a defining characteristic of the system. As of early 2025, 17 provinces and the City of Buenos Aires have authorised online gambling under locally developed regulatory schemes. Notably, the Province and City of Buenos Aires – home to a combined population of over 17 million – were among the first to introduce formal licensing systems for online gambling, starting in 2018.
This decentralised yet evolving structure offers both opportunities and challenges for operators looking to enter or expand within the Argentine market.
Regulations
Given Argentina’s federal structure, gambling regulation is delegated to individual provinces. Each province has the authority to establish its own licensing system, compliance requirements and enforcement mechanisms. This has resulted in a highly fragmented landscape, particularly in the online sector, where policies, licensing conditions and operational models can differ significantly from one province to another.
Due to the extensive volume and diversity of regulatory regimes – especially in the land-based vertical – this overview will focus exclusively on the online gambling sector.
- Buenos Aires Province – Licensing is available through a public tender process. A maximum of seven licences were authorised and issued under the initial round.
- Buenos Aires City – Operates an open licensing regime for online gambling.
- Chaco, Chubut, Entre Ríos, La Pampa, Misiones, Neuquén, Río Negro, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Tucumán – All maintain a monopoly over online gambling, operated either by state-run entities or designated exclusive licensees.
- Córdoba – Launched a tender-based licensing process; market is open to private operators.
- Corrientes – Online gambling is licensed; regulatory conditions allow private participation.
- Mendoza – Introduced a competitive licensing process, offering between two and seven licences to online operators.
- Santa Fe – Online gambling is permitted but only accessible to holders of a land-based casino or betting licence.
Other provinces either do not regulate online gambling or maintain prohibitions on its operation.
The sections that follow will provide detailed insights into the licensing models, compliance standards and market accessibility in Buenos Aires City, Buenos Aires Province, Mendoza, Córdoba, and Corrientes – the five jurisdictions currently offering the most structured and accessible online markets for private stakeholders.
Licence requirements
Buenos Aires Province
Applicants must be domiciled in the province, and both public and private entities are eligible to participate in the licensing process. However, licences cannot be granted to individuals or entities (including directors or shareholders) who have committed two or more serious regulatory violations in the past two years.
Operators must determine and disclose the RTP for each game, which cannot fall below 80%. Live games are restricted to physical locations expressly authorised by the Provincial Institute for Lotteries and Casinos (IPLyC).
Buenos Aires City
Both foreign and domestic applicants are eligible but must demonstrate a minimum net worth of ~$25m and provide a compliance surety of ~$2m.
Applicants with a history of illegal gambling convictions are ineligible. For RNG-based games classified as online slots, a minimum theoretical RTP of 90% is required. Additionally, RTP and volatility metrics must be clearly displayed to players.
Corrientes
Licences may be granted to private individuals or national legal entities domiciled in the province. Foreign applicants must partner through a local joint venture (UTE). All applicants are required to demonstrate technical competence, financial capacity and operational solvency to run online gambling services.
Córdoba
Foreign operators must enter a temporary union (UT) with a national partner that holds at least 15% of the venture. All applicants must be established in Córdoba and show local presence, technical capabilities, financial soundness and a business purpose aligned with gambling.
Licensing is prohibited for individuals or companies with recent criminal convictions, unresolved bankruptcies, final administrative sanctions for repeated violations, or involvement in betting on their own organised events (with the exception of horseracing).
Additional obligations include registering a legal address in the province, maintaining a verified player registry, holding player funds in the Bank of Córdoba, publicly displaying the licence on the website, using an approved domain and ensuring tax compliance. Credit to players is not permitted, and strict safeguards must be in place to ensure game integrity, prevent underage gambling and support enforcement against illegal operators.
Mendoza
For online gambling, while the licensing process is competitive, preference is given to applicants that already hold a casino concession or supply slot machines to land-based casinos in Mendoza at the time of the public tender.
Across all jurisdictions, applicants should expect rigorous evaluation of their financial and technical capabilities, a strong emphasis on player protection, and the need to demonstrate local presence either directly or through strategic partnerships.
Licence cost and term:
Buenos Aires Province
Applicants must pay an application fee of ~$4,300 to participate in the public tender. Once awarded, the licence fee is ~$51,000, payable in three installments. Licences are valid for a term of 15 years.
Buenos Aires City
The application fee for a licence is ~$30,000. Once granted, the operator is subject to an annual licence fee of ~$100,000. The licence is issued for five years and may be renewed for an equal term.
Córdoba
Licences are granted through a public bidding process, open to both national and international applicants. Up to ten licences may be issued.
Each licence is valid for up to 15 years, and the specific financial terms are determined individually within the concession agreement.
Corrientes
No public information is available on the cost or duration of licences.
Mendoza
The licence is granted for a base term of 10 years, with the possibility of extending up to a maximum of 15 years. As in Córdoba, the financial terms are defined on a case-by-case basis in the concession contract.
Overall, operators should be prepared for varying licensing costs and terms depending on the province, with some jurisdictions offering clearly defined structures and others relying on bespoke agreements established through tenders or negotiations.
Taxation
- Buenos Aires Province – Online operators are taxed 25% on GGR.
- Buenos Aires City – A rate of 10% applies, based on NGR.
- Córdoba – Operators pay 10% of GGR.
- Mendoza – Rather than a revenue-based tax, licence holders are subject to a fixed fee per approved game.
- Corrientes – No public data is available on the applicable tax rates.
National tax obligations:
- Value Added Tax (VAT) – A 21% VAT applies to digital services provided by foreign companies and consumed within Argentina, which encompasses online gambling services. In practice, credit card providers act as tax collectors, withholding VAT at the point of payment processing.
- Deposit tax regime – A special tax registry created in 2021 imposes additional levies on deposits:
- 5% on deposits placed with registered Argentine operators.
- 10% on deposits involving foreign persons.
- 15% on deposits connected to foreign persons located in low- or no-tax jurisdictions, or jurisdictions not recognised as tax-cooperative.
Operators – particularly those with cross-border elements in their structure or customer base – must carefully assess their exposure under both provincial and national fiscal regimes. In provinces where a revenue-based tax is not applicable, attention should be paid to alternative fixed-fee mechanisms and how they scale with activity.
Responsible gambling and AML
Buenos Aires Province
Operators must collect detailed personal information at registration, including full name, identification type and number, address, tax ID (CUIL/CUIT), date of birth, sex, email and phone number.
Buenos Aires City
Similar to the province, but also requires place of birth and nationality. Registration is mandatory before gaining access to the gambling platform.
Córdoba
Operators must confirm player eligibility, verify identity details and ensure player records are connected to the provincial lottery’s central database. A declaration of non-exclusion is also required.
Corrientes
Identity verification may be performed using either payment methods that reveal sufficient personal information or alternative methods approved by the regulator. Operators must ensure the accuracy of registration data and confirm that users are not barred from gambling.
Mendoza
Requires account registration with core identity details, including name, ID, age, address and email.
Federally, all licensed operators must implement a risk-based AML framework. This includes customer identification, transaction monitoring, and reporting obligations. Key requirements include:
- Customer risk segmentation – Players must be categorised into low, medium, or high-risk groups. The level of due diligence escalates with the assigned risk level.
- Due diligence – Low-risk customers are subject to simplified checks, while medium- and high-risk individuals must provide additional documentation on the origin of funds and economic activity. High-risk cases, including foreign politically exposed persons (PEPs) and individuals from high-risk jurisdictions, trigger enhanced monitoring.
- Ongoing monitoring – Operators are required to continuously monitor transactions to ensure they align with the customer’s profile and risk level.
- Record-keeping – All client-related documentation must be preserved for a minimum of 10 years, with full traceability of transactions.
- Suspicious transaction reporting (STR) – Operators must report any suspicious or atypical transaction to the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) within strict timeframes (generally within 24 hours), while ensuring strict confidentiality.
Marketing
Advertising of gambling services in Argentina is governed by a dual framework: each of the 23 provinces and the City of Buenos Aires control marketing rules within their jurisdiction, while operators must also adhere to overarching national advertising standards. This layered approach creates a compliance environment where operators must carefully balance local permissions with national limitations.
Key prohibitions apply across all licensed markets, particularly regarding protecting minors and limiting exposure during live events. Operators are not permitted to advertise in the following circumstances:
- When content is broadcast during or adjacent to programming aimed exclusively at minors.
- On video-sharing platforms, websites, or applications that target users under the age of 18.
- When platforms lack adequate age-gating or audience control mechanisms.
- In any format (traditional or non-traditional) during live sports broadcasts on audiovisual media.
- When ads are intended exclusively for placement during live sporting events.
- If advertising features minors or implies that gambling is linked to maturity, success, or adult status.
- If directed at individuals listed in gambling exclusion databases.
- During artistic, musical, or cultural events oriented toward audiences under 18.
Additionally, in the Province of Buenos Aires, advertising must not be aimed at minors and must not feature them in any capacity – including visual appearance, voiceovers, or thematic focus.
Operators must ensure all promotional materials and placements are designed in a way that avoids exposure to vulnerable audiences. This applies across all channels – TV, radio, digital platforms and social media – and demands proactive measures such as audience targeting filters, disclaimers and pre-approval by relevant regulatory bodies where required.
Market specifics for entry
Argentina’s online gambling market is fragmented across 23 provinces and the City of Buenos Aires, each with its own licensing and enforcement framework. Key provinces like Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza and Corrientes have open markets and structured licensing systems, while others operate monopolies or limit online gambling to land-based operators.
Licensing is possible for young companies but typically requires local incorporation or partnerships, financial solvency and full regulatory compliance. Entry thresholds vary: some provinces set fixed fees; others rely on concession agreements. Compliance duties are demanding – including strict player verification, responsible gambling controls, AML segmentation and data reporting to the UIF.
Advertising is tightly regulated, with national and provincial restrictions focused on protecting minors and limiting exposure during live events. Enforcement has intensified: authorities have warned celebrities promoting illegal gambling, prosecuted unlicensed operators and ordered mass blocking of non-compliant sites.
The market is formalising rapidly, creating both opportunity and increased regulatory scrutiny.
The 4H view
For operators exploring entry into Argentina’s online gambling market, success depends on a pragmatic, province-specific strategy and a high degree of regulatory preparedness. While several jurisdictions are open and increasingly structured, the overall environment remains complex and demands careful planning.
The most viable entry points are provinces with established licensing regimes for private operators – namely, Buenos Aires (City and Province), Córdoba, Mendoza and Corrientes. These markets offer transparent licensing procedures, defined operating terms and growing institutional support.
- A clear localisation strategy is essential. Most provinces require either full local incorporation or formal partnerships with Argentine entities. Companies should prepare early by structuring their ownership, securing a local presence and establishing compliant banking arrangements within the country.
- Internal compliance capabilities must be robust. Operators are expected to maintain strong systems for player registration and verification, AML segmentation, responsible gambling tools and ongoing reporting to the UIF. Regulatory oversight is active and increasingly data driven.
- Marketing strategies must be adapted to national and provincial rules. Any association with unauthorised affiliates or influencers presents serious risks – recent enforcement efforts show that authorities are prepared to act against illegal promotion, including public figures and digital channels.
- Operators should also be prepared for intensifying enforcement. Recent court rulings and investigations – including the blocking of hundreds of unauthorised sites and criminal cases against unlicensed operators – reflect a new level of coordination and seriousness across regulatory bodies.
In short, Argentina presents a viable and maturing opportunity for regulated online gambling. But entry requires a structured legal presence, strong compliance infrastructure and an ability to navigate multi-jurisdictional obligations. Those prepared to meet these conditions will find a market that is increasingly protective of licensed activity and open to long-term investment.
The post The 4H View: Everything you need to know about Argentina first appeared on EGR Intel.
EGR’s partner 4H Agency delivers its monthly insight into regulated markets’ key requirements. This month, Argentina is in the spotlight
The post The 4H View: Everything you need to know about Argentina first appeared on EGR Intel.