Comparison with Brazil and Chile

Comparison: Argentina vs Brazil vs Chile

Summary in one paragraph

Argentina is a "mosaic" of 24 jurisdictions: gambling is prohibited by default and becomes legal only with the permission of a specific provincial authority; this is also directly enshrined in Art. 301 bis of the Criminal Code (from December 2016). Brazil has created a single federal circuit for online (Lei 14. 790/2023 + SPA/Ministry of Finance portaries), and land casinos remain at the level of bill PL 2. 234/2022. Chile supports a tough online ban: the Supreme Court in 2025 ordered telecom providers to block unlicensed platforms until a special law is passed.

Who regulates and what is allowed

Argentina

Regulation - at the provincial and CABA levels; there is no single "national" regulator. The basic rule is "prohibited unless authorized by the competent authority." Many provinces have legalized online, but conditions vary (LOTBA/CABA, IPLyC BA, Córdoba, Mendoza, etc.).

Brazil

Online betting and gaming: Lei 14. 790/2023 + by-laws SPA/Ministry of Finance - operate federally; operators need prior SPA authorization. Portaries establish the authorization procedure and those/payment rules.

Land Casinos: In 2025 PL 2. 234/2022 (integrated resorts/IR) remains under consideration by the Senate; voting was again postponed.

Chile

The land casino regulator is SCJ (Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego), but online is not regulated by special law. At the end of September-October 2025, the Supreme Court ordered the largest communication providers to block access to unlicensed online rates, confirming the principle of "illegal by default." The online bill is back on the agenda.

Payments and compliance

Argentina

Payment and advertising rules depend on the province (LOTBA, IPLyC BA, Cordoba, etc.), there are no uniform national standards for online - you need to configure "on the spot."

Brazil

SPA/MF Portarium No. 615/2024: PIX, TED, debit and prepaid cards through BCB-authorized institutions are allowed for licensed online; crypto, cash, boletos, credit cards - prohibited for gaming transactions. It is the core of the AML/KYC model and transparent fiscalization.

Chile

Under the conditions of the ban, online operators do not have access to local payment "white" integration; the state's emphasis is on blocking and enforcement before the law is passed.

What it means for operators

Argentina: strategy = multi-jurisdictionality. Separate permits/tenders, technical standards and domains by province are needed (for example, own registries, .bet. ar in prov. Buenos Aires). Plus coordination through ALEA, but without a "nationwide license."

Brazil: single sign-on online through SPA: authorization by portaries (including 827/2024) and strict payment rules (615/2024). For IR casinos, track the trajectory of PL 2. 234/2022.

Chile: Before Online Law - High Regulatory Risk: Supreme Court Decisions = Domain/Traffic Blocking; planning is only possible under the future framework promoted by the SCJ and the government.

Strengths and weaknesses of models

Argentina (pros): flexibility, competition of approaches between provinces, fast local innovations. (cons): fragmentation, duplicate compliance, different taxes/rules.

Brazil (pros): centralized online supervision, clear payments (PIX platform) and high tax collection; containment of the "gray" market. (cons): land casinos are still in limbo (PL 2. 234/2022).

Chile (pluses): clear position of the courts against illegal immigrants, protection of the perimeter. (cons): the absence of a current law on online games - the market is in "stop mode," dependent on the future parliament.

Quick reference (tabular)

Argentina: provincial/SAA permit → local regulators (LOTBA, IPLyC BA, Cordoba, Mendoza, etc.) → their own tech/advertising/payment practices.

Brazil: Federal Online Law 14. 790/2023 → SPA/Ministry of Finance (portariums, authorization, control) → payment perimeter without crypto/credit cards, with PIX/TED/debit/prepayment. via BCB.

Chile: online banned until special law; Supreme Court (09-10. 2025) ordered the blocking of illegal sites; SCJ lobbies for the adoption of the framework.

Argentina is the region's largest provincially regulated market, requiring a map by jurisdiction and separate compliance tracks to exit. Brazil - a centralized online hub with a clear payment framework (PIX) and a growing "white" sector; ground IRs await Senate action. Chile - tough enforcement and blocking before the adoption of the online law: it makes sense to build a strategy "in anticipation" of the SCJ/parliament norms. For publishing materials and product plans, this means different horizons: operational scalability in Brazil, local adaptation in Argentina, watch-mode in Chile.

Sources: ICLG/Lexology for Argentina (provincial competence and article 301 bis), SPA/Brazilian Ministry of Finance portal (Lei 14. 790/2023; Apostas de Quota Fixa), Portaria 615/2024 (payments), Brazilian Senate proceedings on PL 2. 234/2022, decisions/news on online betting blocks in Chile (Supreme Court, SCJ).