Crypto Casino
Torrent Gear
Prospects for legalization in all provinces
Introduction: "24 regulators instead of one"
Argentina is a federation with decentralized gambling regulation: the basic rule is "prohibited if not permitted," and permits and rules are set by the provinces and the City of Buenos Aires (CABA). Therefore, some jurisdictions have already issued online licenses, others only form a frame or retain restrictions. There is no single federal law on online.
Current field: where is already "green," where is "yellow"
By mid-2025, the industry is recognized as one of the most complex in the region: 24 supervisory authorities (one for each province and CABA), different rules for payment methods, advertising and responsible gambling. Market maps and media reviews confirm: some large jurisdictions are online "included," others are "on the way" with draft laws/regulations.
What is important to understand:- Legality and formats vary province-to-province; there is no unified "Argentine" license.
- Deployed markets (for example, a metropolitan cluster) set the tone for KYC, advertising and integration with payment infrastructure; other regions adopt lagging practices.
Political agenda 2025: "sew" the country with uniform rules?
In 2025, online betting initiatives are being discussed in the Senate, including advertising/sponsorship restrictions and attempts to bring provincial rules closer together. The project S-1116/2025 directly "puts under the magnifying glass" advertising and seeks to build a frame for online at the national level; the agenda regularly appears on committee ballots. This is not federal legalization instead of provinces, but a step towards common standards (RG, advertising, protection of minors).
In parallel, the state is strengthening the AML circuit: Law No. 27. 739 (March 2024) updated the AML/CFT system and included virtual asset providers (VASPs) in the register and supervision, which also affects the payment practices of operators. The FATF assessment in December 2024 confirmed the strengthening of the regime.
Barriers on the way "lay in all provinces"
1. Constitutional decentralization. Gambling regulation is an "undelegated competency" of the provinces. Any "unification" should respect their powers: the minimum framework goes faster than complete centralization.
2. Political-social faults. In different regions, views on advertising, taxes, the volume of localization and RG requirements differ - hence the different rates of adoption of norms.
3. Payment and AML issues. Increased VASP control and anti-money laundering requirements raise the entry threshold and compliance costs for new provinces.
Drivers for expanding legalization
Fiscal stimulus. Provincial lotteries/institutes (IPLyC and analogues) see an increase in revenues from the formalized segment - this is an argument in favor of "turning on" online and tightening the fight against illegal traffic.
Importing practices from "advanced" jurisdictions. CABA/Prov. Buenos Aires and other large markets set standards (up to biometrics when onboarding in new projects) that are convenient to copy.
Uniform "lows" at the country level. Type S-1116/2025 projects, without even removing provincial authority, can provide national basic rules for player advertising/protection that make scaling easier.
What will be considered "complete legalization" by 2030
The "prospect of legalization in all provinces" is more realistically understood as full coverage of basic rules and access to licensed products, rather than a single "federal license." Most likely, the country will come to "soft unification":- a common set of national standards (advertising, RG, minimum KYC/AML requirements), plus provincial licences/rates, while retaining local fiscal autonomy. This is already being seen on the 2025 agenda.
Scenarios to 2030
1) Basic (most likely).
20 + provinces have working online frameworks; the rest complete the implementation.
A national advertising/RG umbrella has been adopted, unifying key restrictions and information.
Payments - in pesos; crypto remains outside legal gambling, under AML supervision on the VASP side.
2) Accelerated.
The introduction of a "model" model (biometrics, limits, harm markers) in metropolitan jurisdictions encourages neighboring provinces to quickly convert pilots into full-format markets.
Congress enshrines strict advertising standards and mechanisms for protecting minors (an analogue of European approaches), which reduces the political costs of legalization.
3) Conservative.
Some provinces retain limited access to online products or "pauses" on advertising; the map remains fragmented.
Increased ad controls without tax harmonization are dragging on "full coverage."
Practical steps for operators and provinces
Operators:- Plan a multi-jurisdictional compliance and permit portfolio; budget for different tax/contribution rates.
- Build onboarding taking into account biometrics/CUS and enhanced AML procedures; Consider the VASP register for payment partners.
- Prepare a modular advertising policy: what is allowed in one region may be limited in the neighboring one.
- Synchronize minimum RG/advertising standards with neighbors and nat initiatives: this reduces the burden on the operator and increases collection.
- Digitize control (self-exclusion registers, inter-provincial validation gateways).
- Publicly demonstrate the fiscal effect (Misiones case) to increase political support.
FAQ
Why can't you just accept a "nationwide license"?
Because according to constitutional logic, the provinces have powers in the field of gambling; realistic "umbrella of standards" path + local licenses.
Is there a chance that by 2030 "it will be everywhere"?
High - in terms of having basic rules and access to licensed online products in almost all regions. But the details (taxes, advertising) will remain different.
What is changing AML reform 2024?
She tightened control and included VASP in the AML/CFT perimeter, which is important for payment schemes and the fight against illegal traffic.
Argentina is moving towards broad coverage of legal online through provincial frameworks and national "minimums" for advertising/player protection. Full centralization is unlikely, but soft unification is already a trend in 2025; by 2030, this could result in an almost "solid" legalization map with local nuances.