The provincial Chamber of Deputies transferred the proposals to a specialist committee covering gambling, lotteries and prevention of gambling harm
Four bills addressing online betting and gambling-related harm have returned to the legislative agenda in Buenos Aires Province following a change in their committee assignments.
The provincial Chamber of Deputies approved the transfer of the proposals from the Addiction Prevention Committee to the newly created Committee on Gambling, Lotteries and Prevention of Gambling Harm.
The specialist committee was established in February and is chaired by Micaela Olivetto. It will now examine proposals covering access by minors, gambling advertising, player information, treatment services and public-health warnings.
Identity checks and payments by minors
A proposal originally introduced by former deputy Abigail Gómez would amend Law 15,131, which governs prevention and assistance concerning compulsive, problematic and pathological gambling.
The bill would require operators to strengthen identity and age-verification systems to prevent people under 18 from accessing online betting.
It would also prevent financial accounts and digital wallets belonging to minors from being used to make payments to gambling platforms.
The proposal includes awareness campaigns for children, teenagers, parents and guardians, together with school programmes explaining the risks associated with online betting and gambling-related harm.
Abigail Gómez, former provincial deputy
“Betting games are a reality among minors, who find in schools and mobile phones the perfect environment in which to enter the world of gambling.”
Advertising and player alerts
Two proposals were introduced by former deputy Nazarena Mesías.
The first would restrict gambling advertising, certain promotions and the use of streamers and influencers to market betting platforms.
Advertisements would be limited to 15 seconds and could be broadcast only between 10pm and 8am. Media companies and advertising services would also have to verify that operators were properly authorised before carrying their promotions.
The proposal would require betting platforms to display alerts every 15 minutes informing users of the duration of their session, their probability of winning and their accumulated losses.
Nazarena Mesías, former provincial deputy
“We understand that the problem must be addressed from different areas, but we are convinced that the measures we propose can help mitigate some aspects, particularly because they focus on prevention.”
Her second bill would create a provincial network of treatment centres under the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos. Multidisciplinary teams would provide prevention, support and treatment services for people experiencing gambling problems and their families.
Funding would come partly from charges connected with bingo, casino and online betting activity, with portions allocated to municipalities and the proposed treatment network.
Public transport warnings
The fourth proposal, introduced by María Alejandra Lordén, would amend Law 11,841 to include gambling in mandatory public-health warnings displayed on passenger transport.
The proposed notice would state: “Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and gambling are harmful to health.”
María Alejandra Lordén, provincial deputy
“The inclusion of gambling as harmful conduct responds to the growing recognition of gambling disorder as an addiction with devastating consequences for individuals and those around them.”
The committee transfer allows the four proposals to resume legislative consideration, but does not mean that any of them has yet been approved as law.
