Online casinos in Argentina

Argentina is one of the largest and most developed gambling markets in Latin America. Almost all forms of gambling are legalized here: land casinos, sports betting, lotteries and online games. Unlike many countries in the region, gambling regulation in Argentina is decentralized - each province independently determines the rules and issues licenses. Thanks to this, the country has become one of the main centers of online gambling in South America.

Legislation and regulation

Gambling in Argentina is regulated at the provincial level, not the federal government. The country's constitution grants the regions the right to independently manage all types of gaming activities.

This means that each province has its own regulator, its own licensing requirements and tax policy.

Key regulatory authorities in major jurisdictions:

LOTBA (Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires) - responsible for licensing in the capital Buenos Aires;
IPLyC (Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos) - regulates gambling in the province of Buenos Aires (the largest in the country);
IAFAS (Entre Ríos), IALA (La Pampa), IJAN (Neuquén), Lotería de Córdoba and others - operate in their regions.

Thus, Argentina has dozens of independent gaming jurisdictions, each of which sets its own rules for operators.

At the federal level, gambling is not prohibited, and online casino activities are considered legal with a local license.

Licensing and taxation

Regional licenses are the basis for the legal activities of operators.

To obtain a license, you must:

register a legal entity in the province;
prove financial stability;
implement certified software (RNG, player protection systems);
pay the license fee and monthly tax.

Taxes range from 10% to 20% GGR (gross gaming income), depending on the region.

The capital and the province of Buenos Aires have some of the most stringent but transparent regulators whose licenses are recognized as reliable throughout the region.

Online gambling in Argentina

Online gambling in the country has been legalized since the end of 2019, when the capital Buenos Aires was the first to start issuing licenses.

Today, online casinos and sports betting officially operate in many regions, including Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, Neuquén, Santa Fe and others.

Each operator must have:

domain. bet. ar associated with a specific license;
responsible game tools (game limits, self-exclusion);
identity verification systems (KYC);
transaction control and reporting to LOTBA or regional regulator.

The online market is growing rapidly, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, when interest in digital game formats has increased several times.

Largest operators and brands

The Argentine market has both international and local brands.

Among the largest operators:

BetWarrior, Bplay, Betsson Argentina, Codere Online, Bet365, Betano, Casino Buenos Aires Online, 888casino, PlayUzu;
Casino Club, Palpitos, Lotería BA local platforms;
crypto-oriented sites operating through offshore licenses - Stake, BC. Game, Fairspin.

Many international companies work with local partners to obtain regional licenses (for example, Betsson + Casino de Victoria, Codere + Lotería de Buenos Aires).

Popular games and destinations

Argentines actively participate in gambling entertainment both offline and online. Most popular formats:

video slots and progressive jackpots from global providers;
roulette, blackjack and poker (including live versions);
sports betting, especially football, tennis and basketball;
bingo, lotteries and scratch cards, traditionally popular in the country;
live dealer games in Spanish.

According to LOTBA statistics, more than 70% of bets are made through mobile devices, which makes the mobile gambling market a key area of development.

Financial systems and currencies

Argentina has a developed payment infrastructure, but strict currency restrictions. Therefore, most online operators have adapted their platforms to local conditions.

The main methods of replenishment and withdrawal of funds:

local payment systems (PagoMisCuentas, MercadoPago, Rapipago, PagoFacil);
bank transfers and Visa, MasterCard cards;
AstroPay prepaid cards;
MuchBetter and Neteller e-wallets;
cryptocurrencies (USDT, Bitcoin, Ethereum) are actively used to bypass currency control.

Deposits in Argentine pesos (ARS) and US dollars are available on most sites.

Economic importance and contribution to the budget

The gambling industry brings billions of pesos into government coffers.

The contribution of gambling to the Argentine economy is estimated at about 1.5% of GDP, and the online sector alone generates more than $2 billion in income annually.

Some of the taxes are directed to social programs, sports and culture, as well as to combat gambling addiction.

Challenges and challenges

The complexity of regulation by region creates a number of difficulties:

lack of a single federal licensing;
differences in tax rates between provinces;
competition between offshore and local operators;
the need to combat unlicensed sites.

Nevertheless, the government is actively working to create a unified national system for monitoring gambling, which will unify approaches to control and taxation.

Development prospects

Argentina is confidently moving towards the status of the regional leader of the iGaming industry in South America.

It is expected that in the coming years:

all 23 provinces will implement their own licensing systems;
a national database of operators and players will be created;
the market will become completely transparent to investors and regulators;
the development of crypto and blockchain payments will strengthen the export of digital services.

Thanks to a flexible legal system, high community engagement and mature infrastructure, Argentina is already in the top 5 most promising online gambling markets in the world, representing the perfect combination of regulation, innovation and consumer demand.