Argentina’s opposition has launched a fierce attack on President Javier Milei’s new federal bill on online gambling, arguing that the initiative protects the business model of licensed betting platforms while failing to prioritize the prevention of problem gambling and youth addiction.
The government maintains that the project is aimed at cracking down on illegal operators, but critics say it “does not aim at prevention” and abandons a stricter, cross‑party consensus bill that had advanced in 2024.
While Milei’s bill introduces new criminal sanctions and enforcement tools against unlicensed platforms, it stops short of prohibiting advertising by legal operators in mass media, social networks and major sporting or cultural events. Opposition lawmakers from the Coalición Cívica, including deputies Mónica Frade and Maximiliano Ferraro, argue that this omission “avoids touching the heart of the business” and accuse the Executive of bowing to pressure from the online betting and sports lobby.
The bill proposes prison terms of three to six years for those who exploit illegal online gambling platforms, along with domain blocking, payment restrictions and sanctions for intermediaries that knowingly provide financial, technological or advertising services to unauthorized sites.
It also forbids minors from accessing online gambling, mandates awareness campaigns on gambling addiction and calls for coordination with provincial authorities and sectoral agencies to address the growth of online betting.
However, Frade and other opponents insist that these provisions are largely punitive and reactive, and lack robust, funded mechanisms for early detection, treatment and long‑term support for problem gamblers.
Last year Deputies Maximiliano Ferraro and Mónica Frade called through social media channels for senators to move forward with the bill which would impose a new national online gambling policy aimed at preventing gambling related harm.
In November 2024 the Chamber of Deputies voted with 139 votes in favour of a bill that prohibits advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of online gambling across various platforms, including social media, influencers, sports apparel, billboards on public roads, as well as print, radio, and television media. It would also impose a wide number of other measures aimed at protecting players.
The bill was approved by a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, but still requires discussion, amendments, and approval in the Senate before becoming law. The chair of the Health committee, Lucia Corpacci, has held a number of meetings with specialists since then. However, progress on the treatment of the project, which was sent to three committees in the Senate, has not advanced any further.
The post Argentina opposition attacks Milei’s online gambling bill over “prevention” gaps and ad loopholes appeared first on G3 Newswire.
Argentina’s opposition has launched a fierce attack on President Javier Milei’s new federal bill on online gambling, arguing that the initiative protects the business model of licensed betting platforms while failing to prioritize the prevention of problem gambling and youth addiction. The government maintains that the project is aimed at cracking down on illegal operators,…
The post Argentina opposition attacks Milei’s online gambling bill over “prevention” gaps and ad loopholes appeared first on G3 Newswire.