Casinos in Argentina and Chile: different approaches to licenses

Introduction: One Region - Two Courses

South America demonstrates contrasting models of gambling regulation: federal Argentina with a "mosaic" of provincial rules and the rapid development of the online sector, and unitary Chile, where oversight of land-based casinos has long been debugged, and the online market is only going through a formalization stage through a new bill. It is differences in licensing and taxation that determine growth rates, competition and player safety in both countries.

Argentina: decentralization, competition and "online pioneers"

Who regulates. In Argentina, gambling is the "undelegated competence" of the provinces: 23 provinces and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires (CABA) write the rules themselves, hold contests and issue licenses. This gives multiple "entry points" for operators, but also creates a regulatory maze where requirements, deadlines and taxes vary by jurisdiction.

• CABA (LOTBA regulator): 5 years with the possibility of extension for another 5.
• Province of Buenos Aires and Córdoba: Up to 15 years, no extension.
• Mendoza: 10 years + extension year possible.
• This "ladder of deadlines" affects the investment horizons and entry strategy of brands.

Metropolitan drivers of the online market. The city and province of Buenos Aires became the locomotives of legal online gambling: LOTBA and IPLyC introduced tough KYC/AML, responsible play, transparent contests; CABA uses domains. bet. ar to combat "grey" traffic. This is gradually displacing offshore operators and normalizing the market.

Taxes and fiscal changes. At the federal level, indirect fees for online operations (including differences for foreign operators) were introduced/clarified in 2022. In 2025, the government abolished the PAIS tax on foreign currency payments, which reduces transaction costs for international transactions and indirectly affects the payment chains of the gambling sector. Application details always depend on the specific province and payment scenario.

Politics and advertising. In the fall of 2025, the Senate is discussing a "gambling protection law" with promo restrictions and a focus on protecting minors. For operators, this means a possible reconfiguration of marketing in 2026, especially in interprovincial campaigns.

Chile: Mature offline overseen by SCJ and pivot to legal online

Current architecture. Land-based casinos are regulated by the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego (SCJ) under Law No. 19. 995: strict licenses, transparent reporting, stable tax revenues (special tax, VAT, entry fees). But in 2024-2025. real incomes of the sector were under pressure (including due to the "vacuum" of online regulation), which strengthened the arguments for reform.

Online market: from the "gray zone" to the rules of the game. For a long time, online casinos and online betting were not directly settled: as a result - legal uncertainty and disputes around sponsorships. In 2025, the Chilean Senate approved a general bill on the regulation of online platforms: we are talking about licensing, supervision and "whitewashing" of the market. Further - elaboration of details and by-laws, after which it will become clear how, to whom and under what conditions licenses will be issued.

Licensing: "mosaic" vs. "monocenter"

Argentina: each region has its own tender and its own "passport of requirements." The investor chooses jurisdiction over the term of the license, CAPEX/OPEX load and marketing opportunities. It is flexible, but more difficult to comply: you need a "multi-local" set of policies and payment solutions.

Chile: a unified SCJ architecture for offline and, albeit going, but now a very advanced roadmap of the law for online. The expected effect is uniform entry rules, centralized supervision and a predictable fiscal model.

Taxes and state revenues

Argentina: Taxation is made up of provincial rates + federal regulations on transactions/payments. The differences are palpable: jurisdictions balance operator attractiveness and fiscal goals; the abolition of PAIS in 2025 reduces the "friction" on external payments. For international brands, the key to planning is the right "provincial portfolio."

Chile: a stable flow of fees from land casinos (special tax, VAT, fees), but the real dynamics of 2024-2025 is pushing to legalize online in order to maintain the base. The introduction of licenses for online platforms will expand the taxable environment and reduce leakage into the "gray" zone.

Risks and compliance

Argentina: Rule diversity = increased difficulty on AML/KYC, responsible play and advertising. In CABA and Prov. Buenos Aires already has strict standards (including domains. bet. ar), which is useful for player protection but requires operators to mature processes and local integrations.

Chile: the transition period before the final entry of the online law creates uncertainty for marketing and sponsorships; at the same time, SCJ is a strong offline regulator, which promises a "painless" transfer of best practices online after the adoption of the by-law.

What it means for players and operators

Players in Argentina are given more protection by legal platforms in "advanced" jurisdictions (limits, self-exclusion, verification), but the availability of services depends on your region - check the license of your province.

Players in Chile are still a key landmark - land casinos under SCJ; the online sector is waiting for the finalization of the law, after which official licenses and a unified register of permitted operators will appear.

• In Argentina, the "portfolio" strategy wins: CABA/BA as anchor + selection of 1-2 additional provinces in terms of license terms and tax matrix.
• In Chile, it makes sense to prepare a dossier in advance (responsible play, local payments, data protection) in order to quickly enter the first license cycle after the approval of the regulations.

Argentina and Chile are moving towards the same goal - a safe and transparent market - but through different institutional trajectories. Argentina is already capitalizing on decentralized provincial competition and online growth, while Chile, relying on SCJ's strong offline oversight, is formalizing online rules through a 2025 Senate bill. For businesses, these are two different entry strategies; for players - different rates of emergence of legal online services, but a similar vector for protection and quality.

The material was prepared taking into account the state as of October 17, 2025.