Buenos Aires Blocks 251 Unlicensed Online Betting Platforms in Sweeping Regulatory Crackdown

Inside the Crackdown on Illegal Betting Networks and the Recruitment of Minors

Judicial sources told La Nación that the platforms were used as recruitment grounds for adolescents, who were drawn in as bettors and then offered roles as cashiers. UNICEF's Kids Online Argentina report found that one in four adolescents has bet online at least once, with many starting as young as 13.

Despite the online gambling market being projected to reach $1.57 billion in 2025, an estimated 80% of bets in Argentina are still placed on unregulated platforms.

Since 2021, online gambling has grown between 20% and 35% per year, and illegal operators have exploited that growth aggressively. Setting up a gambling website is cheap and fast, and once a domain is blocked, operators can launch a replacement almost immediately under a new name.

LOTBA, the City of Buenos Aires gambling regulator, has now ordered the blocking of more than 330 illegal gambling sites since last year. They’ve removed over 1,600 social media profiles and filed reports against 48 celebrities and influencers who promoted unlicensed platforms.

Authorities have also taken the fight to the financial system, requesting the Argentine Central Bank to block all transfers to accounts linked to unauthorized gambling platforms.

Argentina is moving in step with a worldwide regulatory shift. In November 2025, gambling authorities from Germany, Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, and Spain formalized a landmark coordination agreement to target the offshore gambling market. The countries will now share databases of unlicensed platforms, coordinate social media complaints, and unify investigations.

The San Isidro cybercrime unit confirmed the investigation remains ongoing, with further enforcement actions expected in the coming months. For Argentina's licensed operators, that is exactly the signal they have been waiting for.