The City’s government followed the steps of Buenos Aires Province and gave the green light to the award of online gaming licenses to individuals and corporations. The rules approved outline the implementation of this gambling modality as well as the requirements operators shall met so as to participate in the bidding process. The Buenos Aires City Lottery ('LOTBA' in Spanish) will be the entity in charge of the license-awarding process.
The government sought to regulate internet wagers, in an attempt to protect minors rights, consumers and users, as well as to prevent money-laundering. According to official data, there are over 1,000 illegal websites taking online bets in the country. Following the approval of these regulations, companies shall pay 25% of their net receipts in taxes and fees, which will represent a tax collection for the city’s government of around USD 10.5 M.
LOTBA’s proposal had four annexes; the 'Online Gambling Rules,' made up of 15 sections, which outline the games on which bets can be placed. The second annex includes the admissibility requirements which are the rights, obligations, granting and expiration conditions for potential online operators who wish to obtain a license. The third annex provides for the technical requirements related to IT security and software, among others. Finally, the fourth annex includes the Comprehensive Responsible Gambling Policies, which establish that minors and self-excluded individuals shall not be able to access the websites.