Short answer: gambling is not illegal in Argentina, but only casinos, lotteries and online platforms licensed by a province (or by the City of Buenos Aires) are legal. Argentina has no single national gambling law. Gambling is legislated and regulated by each of its 24 jurisdictions (23 provinces plus the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires), and as of July 2026, 20 of them had an online gambling framework in place. All legal gambling is restricted to people aged 18 and over.
If you are moving to Argentina from China, keep three things in mind. First, a website that is legal in the capital may need a different licence once you cross Avenida General Paz into Buenos Aires Province. Second, lottery-type prizes have a federal prize tax withheld at source by the organiser. Third, Chinese criminal law contains a specific provision on organising PRC citizens to gamble abroad. The information below is current as of October 2026, covers regulation only, is not legal advice and does not recommend any operator.
Is gambling legal in Argentina? Gambling as a provincial matter
In Argentina gambling is treated as a provincial matter: casinos, bingo halls, horse racing, lotteries (quiniela) and online gambling are all licensed by the provinces and the City of Buenos Aires. As of October 2026 Congress has not passed any national online gambling law, so whether something is legal depends on where you are and which jurisdiction licensed the platform.
Legal land-based venues include province-approved casinos, lottery agencies and racetracks. In Buenos Aires City, well-known legal venues include Casino Buenos Aires and the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, both of which also accept self-exclusion requests. Unlicensed underground games, private betting points and unlicensed websites are illegal.
For licensed land-based casinos in the capital and the provinces, their rules and entry requirements, see our guide to casinos in Argentina; for how to tell whether an online platform is legal, see online casinos in Argentina.
Main regulators and licensing
Greater Buenos Aires, where most Chinese residents live, spans two jurisdictions with different rules:
| Jurisdiction | Regulator | Online gambling rules | Key points (as of 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Buenos Aires (CABA) | Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA S.E.) | City Law 538 and Board Resolution 321/2018; licensing since 2021 | No licence cap, about 11 licensed operators; new licence registration closed in 2024 |
| Buenos Aires Province (PBA) | Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos (IPLyC) | Provincial Law 15.079 (2019) | Up to 7 licences for 15 years, non-extendable; foreign operators need a local partner; bets in pesos only |
| Other provinces | Provincial lottery/gaming bodies | Provincial laws | 20 jurisdictions in total had rules by July 2026 |
According to Yogonet (March 2026), legal platforms use domains ending in .bet.ar, show the LOTBA or IPLyC logo and a licence number in the footer, and both regulators publish lists of authorised operators on their official sites. Because of geolocation, one account usually cannot be used in both the City and the Province. Since 2025, IPLyC has also required licensed online operators in Buenos Aires Province to verify identity with facial recognition and liveness checks.
Minimum age and identity checks
LOTBA states that betting games are only for people over 18, and Buenos Aires Province Law 15.079 likewise prohibits play by anyone under 18. Licensed platforms usually require an Argentine identity number (DNI) and identity verification at sign-up. Newcomers who do not yet have a DNI often cannot open an account on a legal platform. That is itself a warning sign: any site that skips identity checks or advertises “passport only, top up in RMB” is almost certainly not an Argentine-licensed platform. For residency and DNI procedures, see our Argentina visa and residency guide.
Tax on winnings: federal withholding and a worked example
At federal level, Law 20.630 created the tax on prizes from certain draw-based games and sports contests. It covers lotteries, raffles and similar draws as well as sports forecasting contests (horse-race betting and quiniela are expressly excluded). The current rate is 31%, applied to a presumed base of 90% of the prize, so the effective rate is about 27.9% of the gross prize, withheld by the organiser on payout. The law’s text does not explicitly mention casino games; whether and how casino winnings are taxed should be confirmed with an accountant or ARCA (the federal tax agency).
According to Yogonet, the federal tax agency (formerly AFIP, now ARCA) also charges 2.5% on credits players load into accounts on licensed platforms. If you are an Argentine tax resident, large winnings also raise reporting and cross-border money questions; before sending money back to China, read about personal forex quotas and cross-border transfers.
Advertising rules and the 2026 bills in Congress
Resolution 446/2025 of the Secretariat of Industry and Commerce, published in November 2025 and in force 30 days later, requires online betting ads to show “EL JUGAR COMPULSIVAMENTE ES PERJUDICIAL PARA LA SALUD” (compulsive gambling is harmful to health) and a “+18” symbol, together covering at least 10% of the ad; breaches can be fined under the Consumer Protection Law (Law 24.240). Consumers can report influencers who promote betting without the warnings to the Ministry of Economy’s consumer protection office.
- November 2024The Chamber of Deputies passed a gambling-addiction bill (half-sanction): broad limits on advertising and sports sponsorship, RENAPER biometric checks, a national self-exclusion register
- May 2026The Executive sent bill 185/26 to the Senate: focus on unlicensed platforms, 3–6 years in prison for illegal bookmaking, domain blocking
- October 2026Both texts are pending in the Senate with no vote; the Deputies’ version lapses if it does not complete the process this year
- Provincial levelThe Buenos Aires provincial legislature is debating several proposals to tighten or even ban online betting
In other words, as of October 2026 a national advertising ban is not in force; the rules are still each jurisdiction’s laws plus Resolution 446/2025. Neighbouring countries take very different approaches; compare gambling laws in Brazil and gambling laws in Panama.
What Chinese citizens should know: Chinese law and gambling abroad
Criminal Law Amendment (XI), in force since 1 March 2021, added a paragraph to Article 303: organising citizens of the People’s Republic of China to gamble abroad, where the amounts are huge or the circumstances otherwise serious, is punished under the provision on running a gambling house. According to reporting at the time, this covers both organised trips to physical casinos and cross-border online gambling. The provision targets organisers, recruiters and operators; the consequences for individual players under Chinese law depend on the circumstances.
In Argentina, the most common risks are “overseas platforms” promoted in Chinese within the community, top-up agents and underground games. None of these are supervised by LOTBA or IPLyC, there is nowhere to complain if things go wrong, and they may involve money laundering. This page does not recommend any operator; see our disclaimer. For overall preparation before you go, see our leaving China checklist.
Responsible gambling and where to get help
- City of Buenos Aires: problem gambling line 0800-666-6006 (Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00); report illegal gambling on 147; self-exclusion for an initial 2 years, online or in person at LOTBA (Carlos Pellegrini 657). Official platform: JuegoSeguroLegal.gob.ar (replaced SaberJugar.gob.ar in June 2026).
- Buenos Aires Province: IPLyC prevention programme line 0800-999-5246.
- Licensed platforms must offer deposit limits, self-exclusion and risk warnings.
Helplines operate mainly in Spanish, so ask a Spanish-speaking friend to help if needed. For more on daily life, see our Argentina country guide.
FAQ
Is gambling legal in Argentina?
Yes, at licensed casinos, lottery agencies and .bet.ar sites licensed in your jurisdiction, for people aged 18+. Unlicensed operation is illegal.
Who regulates gambling in Argentina?
There is no single national regulator. LOTBA covers the City of Buenos Aires, IPLyC the Province of Buenos Aires, and other provinces have their own lottery or gaming bodies.
How are gambling winnings taxed?
Lottery and sports-contest prizes are taxed at 31% on a 90% base (about 27.9%), withheld by the organiser; a 2.5% tax on online top-ups at licensed platforms has also been reported.
Has Argentina banned gambling advertising nationwide?
Not as of October 2026. Both the Deputies’ bill and the government bill are pending in the Senate.
Sources
- Yogonet: Cómo es la reglamentación de los casinos online en CABA y en la Provincia de Buenos Aires (25.03.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Aire de Santa Fe: Nación llega tarde: 20 provincias ya regulan las apuestas online (28.07.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Diario Huarpe: Regulación de las apuestas online 2026: qué proponen los dos proyectos en el Congreso (20.10.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Opinando San Nicolás: Apuestas online: qué cambios debate el Senado (25.10.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Economía Sustentable: Las casas de apuestas buscan frenar los controles en el Senado (26.10.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Infobae: Congreso: dos proyectos enfrentados por la regulación de las apuestas online (29.05.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- ARCA/AFIP Biblioteca: Ley 20.630 – Impuesto a los premios de determinados juegos de sorteo y concursos deportivos (accessed October 2026)
- iProfesional: ARCA y el impuesto al ganador del Quini 6 (2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Blog del Contador: Resolución SIYC 446/2025 – publicidad de juegos y apuestas en línea (03.11.2025) (accessed October 2026)
- IPLyC (Provincia de Buenos Aires): Resolución sobre verificación biométrica de identidad, Ley 15.079 (2025) (accessed October 2026)
- Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires: JuegoSeguroLegal.gob.ar – juego responsable y autoexclusión (accessed October 2026)
- Yogonet: La Lotería de la Ciudad renueva su plataforma de juego responsable (09.06.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Yogonet: Proponen una “Ley Lula” para prohibir las apuestas online en la Provincia de Buenos Aires (19.10.2026) (accessed October 2026)
- 中国新闻网：刑法修正案（十一）3月1日起施行，跨境赌博入刑（2021年2月23日） (accessed October 2026)
- currency.me.uk: ARS to CNY converter (27.10.2026) (accessed October 2026)
