Argentine media regulator blocks 1,000 online gambling sites

ENACOM’s president said the regulator would continue to work with internet service providers to block unlicensed offerings.

Argentina.- The national media and communications regulator ENACOM has announced that it has so far blocked 1,000 illegal online gambling sites this year. Responding to the orders of ministerial chief of staff Guillermo Francos, the regulator said its measures aimed to protect vulnerable people and minors from sites that may not have gambling harm prevention tools.

ENACOM president, Juan Martín Ozores, said the media regulator would continue to work with internet service providers to block access to unlicensed gambling in the country. 

He said: “We have met with various institutions and organisations to fight against this scourge. We want all Argentines to be free to choose which platforms, apps and web pages to access, but within a framework of legality and responsibility to protect the health of children and adolescents.

Secretary for innovation, science and technology, Darío Genua, said: “We are aware that addiction to online gambling in children and adolescents is a scourge that occurs under the auspices of websites that promote illegal betting.

“We are committed to working in a collaborative way with other organisations to prevent the development of these illegal platforms and to promote initiatives that promote responsible digital citizenship, taking care of the mental health and emotional development of minors.”

Online gambling in Argentina is licensed at a provincial level, so frameworks vary among its 23 provinces and the federal district of Buenos Aires City. The latter launched a regulated online gambling market in 2020, with LOTBA accepting applications from municipal gambling businesses in partnerships with foreign online operators such as bet365, GiG, Betsson and Playtech.

However, the new leader of the capital’s autonomous government, Jorge Macri, has put the brakes on new gambling licences in Buenos Aires, saying that the topic of underage gambling had become a major concern for parents. The existing 11 licensees continue to operate, but the government has announced an immediate review focusing on the processes in place for age verification.