Argentina: Buenos Aires Province discusses online gambling regulation

Vidal would make this decision so as to increase the province’s tax revenue. Around 2,200 million extra pesos - over 61.5 million dollars- will be collected thanks to this measure, which will be used to meet the obligations the Buenos Aires province needs to comply with at the beginning of the next electoral year.

Sections 142 and 143 of the tax law brought before the legislature, provides for the regulation of online games that are operating without supervision in the most populated province of the country. The proposed law is intended to govern casinos, sports betting, lotteries and other modalities that could be included before the bill becomes a law.

As the country experiences a severe economic crisis, the province’s government seeks to raise money to fund public works and social welfare investments. This measure contradicts Vidal's previous anti-gambling policy, under which she promised to reduce games of chance to the minimum, while now, the province plans to grant national and international licenses to operate this gaming segment.

As provided for in the bill, online operators would pay 15% of their gross income, almost twice as much as operators pay in Spain or England.

The government intends to grant up to seven licenses, alleging that is the limit number under which a official are able to exert a real control over gambling.

Download the proposal (spanish content)