Buenos Aires senator files bill to ban all online betting in the province

A senator in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province wants to end licensed online betting there. Federico Fagioli of the Fuerza Patria party has introduced a bill that would repeal the online gambling chapter of provincial Law No. 15,079 and revoke the licences issued under it, Yogonet reported on 20 October 2026.

The bill is nicknamed the “Lula Law”, after the online betting ban Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva imposed late last month, the report said.

The details

Only lotteries, quinielas and raffles, plus electronic sales of games with no betting or cash prizes, would stay legal. The ban would cover:

• sports bets placed before or during events;
• online casino games and bets on virtual events;
• games decided wholly or mainly by chance;
• any gambling that risks money for a prize or financial return.

Once the law takes effect, operators could not accept new deposits, top-ups or transfers for banned games. Within 10 days they would have to stop new sessions, remove advertising, promotions, bonuses and sponsorships, and block users in the province.

Within 30 days they would have to return each player’s available balance. They would also send the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos a report on each account’s balances, pending bets, prizes and refunds.

The bill would also bar advertising of online betting, including influencer campaigns, affiliate marketing and promotional codes.

Fagioli argued that constant, unrestricted access through digital platforms means the regulatory system should be reassessed, and that the question is now whether such gambling is compatible with public health.

Why it matters

The report says more than 22 online betting bills are before the Chamber of Deputies and at least three before the Senate, and none of them proposes a full ban. Deputy Facundo Tignanelli said he personally supports prohibition but that it would need national legislation.

Debate on a unified bill began last week in the lower chamber’s gambling committee, according to the report.