Buenos Aires Province Bill Targets Influencer Ads and Age Checks for Online Betting
2026-07-16
Source: Global Gaming Insider
Deputies in Buenos Aires Province introduced a bill to ban gambling ads featuring influencers, athletes, and celebrities, and to enforce biometric age verification, with penalties up to license revocation.
Two provincial deputies, Fabián Luayza and Viviana Romano, have put forward a legislative proposal in Buenos Aires Province that would significantly tighten advertising restrictions for licensed online gambling operators and introduce more rigorous age-verification procedures.
The bill aims to amend existing provincial law by banning operators from enlisting influencers, content creators, streamers, professional athletes, artists, celebrities, and sports organizations in their marketing campaigns. The prohibition extends to sponsored content, affiliate links, discount codes, commercial mentions, and any other direct or indirect promotional activity.
Current restrictions on advertising directed at minors would also be expanded. Under the proposed rules, gambling ads must not contain visual or audio elements, characters, or language designed to appeal to children and teenagers. Moreover, such advertisements cannot appear in digital spaces, events, or content that is primarily intended for under-18 audiences.
Operators would be required to adopt tougher identity and age verification measures. While the provincial regulator would determine the technical standards, the legislation explicitly permits the use of biometric verification, facial recognition, electronic document validation, and multifactor authentication. Account holders would also face periodic identity checks throughout the life of their accounts.
If an operator detects or suspects that an account belongs to a minor, the bill mandates immediate suspension of the account, a block on any further gambling activity, and measures to prevent the creation of a replacement account.
Non-compliant operators could face warnings, financial penalties, or temporary license suspensions. Repeated or serious violations might ultimately lead to permanent license revocation.
According to Luayza and Romano, the proposal does not alter the province's regulated online gambling framework but is instead aimed at reinforcing protections against underage gambling while maintaining the legal market.
The bill follows a period of inactivity by the Buenos Aires Provincial Commission on Games of Chance, Lottery and Problem Gambling Prevention. Created in February 2026 through a resolution sponsored by Facundo Tignanelli—head of the Unión por la Patria bloc in the provincial legislature—the commission has convened only once this year, solely to establish its membership. Deputy Micaela Olivetto chairs the body.