Skip to content
iGaming Times

Choose your emails

Which emails would you like?

Independent industry intelligence in your inbox. We will email you a link to confirm the emails you ticked, and every email carries a one-click unsubscribe link. Each list can be left on its own.

Sub-national
Latin America

Buenos Aires City (Argentina): gambling regulation and licensing

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Part of Argentina

  • Online sports bettingRegulated
  • Online casinoRegulated
  • Online pokerRegulated
  • Lottery and iLotteryRegulated
  • Horse race bettingRegulated
Regulator
Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires S.A.U.
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
15 Oct 2026

Summary

The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires is a gambling jurisdiction separate from the surrounding Province. Law 538 gives the City exclusive competence over betting games and requires it to run them directly, with private parties limited to distribution and sale. Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA), created by Law 5.785 and converted from a state company into a single-shareholder company (S.A.U.) by Decree 452/2025, owns the games and regulates the market. In 2018 LOTBA created online sports betting, slots, roulette, card games including poker and lottery games, approved by the Legislature, and it sells them through private online gaming agencies holding five-year permits, extendable once at LOTBA's discretion. Under the 2020 call, applicants paid a USD 30,000 charge and needed USD 25 million in net worth; permit holders pay USD 100,000 a year, post a USD 2 million surety bond reduced to USD 1 million after certification, and keep player funds at Banco Ciudad. LOTBA keeps 10% of net takings, the 2026 Tax Law charges gross receipts tax at 6% on agency income, and the federal tax on players' net deposits applies on top. The call closed on 24 June 2024; LOTBA lists 11 authorised agency sites on .bet.ar domains plus its own. Law 6.330 of 2020 sets strict advertising rules: no street advertising, limits on promotion around live sports broadcasts, athletes and celebrities only in responsible gambling messages, and a mandatory warning. Players must be 18, play in pesos only and, since 2025, pass biometric identity checks. Illegal sites are blocked by court order at the request of the City's specialist gambling prosecutor.

Common pitfalls

Treating Buenos Aires as one market: the City and the Province are separate jurisdictions with different regulators, permits and taxes, and operators licensed in both run separate sites (for example caba.bplay.bet.ar and pba.bplay.bet.ar). Assuming the City is open to new operators: the permit call closed in June 2024. Assuming a permit can be sold with a business: City permits cannot be assigned or transferred. Reading LOTBA's 10% as the whole tax bill: gross receipts tax at 6%, the USD 100,000 annual charge and the federal deposit tax also apply. Using athletes or influencers in City advertising outside a responsible gambling message.

Key facts

Regulator
Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires S.A.U. (LOTBA)
Regulator type
Sub-national body
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
18+
Tax base
LOTBA owns the online games and private agencies sell them, so the City's take is mainly a revenue share rather than a gaming duty: LOTBA keeps 10% of each agency's net takings (recaudación neta) and the agency keeps the remainder as its commission (convocatoria art. 11), on top of a fixed annual charge of USD 100,000 (art. 8). Agencies also pay the City's gross receipts tax (Ingresos Brutos) at 6% on income from a LOTBA online agency permit (Law 6.927, Tax Law 2026, Anexo art. 19(9)); the base defined in the City's Fiscal Code for this activity was not checked. A federal tax on players' net deposits applies on top (Law 27.346 Title III ch. II).
Currency
ARS
Official languages
Spanish

How to get a gambling licence in Buenos Aires City

The regulator is Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires S.A.U. (LOTBA).

We record 1 licence type for Buenos Aires City: the Online gaming agency permit (permiso de Agencia de Juego en Línea).

For the Online gaming agency permit (permiso de Agencia de Juego en Línea), the application fee is $30,000 (as of 11 Mar 2022) and the annual fee is $100,000 (as of 11 Mar 2022).

Applications
Closed at present
Local presence
A local company or establishment is required; sites must use a .bet.ar domain.
Financial guarantee
Surety insurance bond of USD 2 million in LOTBA's favour before the permit is granted, reduced to USD 1 million once the final technical certification is filed and never below that; player account balances must be held in a Banco Ciudad account controlled by LOTBA (convocatoria arts. 19 and 20).

Licence fees in Buenos Aires City

Licence typeApplication feeAnnual feeTerm
Online gaming agency permit (permiso de Agencia de Juego en Línea)Non-refundable USD 30,000 administrative charge to apply (convocatoria art. 4) and a fixed annual charge of USD 100,000, payable in the first five days of each permit year, late payment being grounds for automatic revocation (art. 8). LOTBA keeps 10% of the agency's net takings and the agency's commission is the remainder (art. 11).$30,000 (as of 11 Mar 2022)$100,000 (as of 11 Mar 2022)5 years from grant, extendable for a further 5 years at LOTBA's discretion

Built from the record on this page, last verified 15 Oct 2026. The Licensing and Taxation sections carry the full detail and sources.

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Closed
Local establishment required
Yes
Local server required
Not yet verified
Local domain required
.bet.ar
Active licences
11 (as of 15 Oct 2026)
Bank guarantee or bond
Surety insurance bond of USD 2 million in LOTBA's favour before the permit is granted, reduced to USD 1 million once the final technical certification is filed and never below that; player account balances must be held in a Banco Ciudad account controlled by LOTBA (convocatoria arts. 19 and 20).
Certification requirements
Software, hardware and game components must be certified by laboratories recognised by LOTBA (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 18); LOTBA keeps registers of components, certifying laboratories and manufacturers and publishes technical specifications on gaming, traceability and transparency (2023), a live dealer standard and a biometric validation standard (2025). Applicants filed a preliminary certification report and must obtain a final one.
Barriers to entry
The call for new permits closed on 24 June 2024 and has not been reopened. Under the call, applicants needed two years' experience in gambling or interactive online business, sales above ARS 100 million and net worth of USD 25 million, domicile in the City, and could not hold another Law 538 betting agency permit; sports bodies (other than horse racing organisers) were excluded. Permits are personal and cannot be transferred. The 11 authorised agency sites were granted between 2021 and 2024 by LOTBA dispositions and resolutions.

Licence types

  • Online gaming agency permit (permiso de Agencia de Juego en Línea)

    Scope
    Sale of LOTBA's online games (sports betting, slots, roulette, card games including poker, lottery games, virtual and non-sporting event betting) through a website or app to players in the City of Buenos Aires; physical terminals are excluded.
    Term
    5 years from grant, extendable for a further 5 years at LOTBA's discretion
    Application fee
    $30,000 as of 11 Mar 2022
    Annual fee
    $100,000 as of 11 Mar 2022
    Fee basis
    Non-refundable USD 30,000 administrative charge to apply (convocatoria art. 4) and a fixed annual charge of USD 100,000, payable in the first five days of each permit year, late payment being grounds for automatic revocation (art. 8). LOTBA keeps 10% of the agency's net takings and the agency's commission is the remainder (art. 11).
    Renewal terms
    One extension of equal length on request, at LOTBA's discretion, if the agency keeps the standards required for the grant (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 3; convocatoria art. 2). Permits cannot be assigned or transferred (art. 9).

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
1 Jan 2026
Withholding mechanism
The federal online betting tax is charged on the player and collected by the intermediary that processes the payment, acting as a perception agent, and settled every 15 days (Law 27.346 Title III ch. II arts. 2 and 3).
Tax base
LOTBA owns the online games and private agencies sell them, so the City's take is mainly a revenue share rather than a gaming duty: LOTBA keeps 10% of each agency's net takings (recaudación neta) and the agency keeps the remainder as its commission (convocatoria art. 11), on top of a fixed annual charge of USD 100,000 (art. 8). Agencies also pay the City's gross receipts tax (Ingresos Brutos) at 6% on income from a LOTBA online agency permit (Law 6.927, Tax Law 2026, Anexo art. 19(9)); the base defined in the City's Fiscal Code for this activity was not checked. A federal tax on players' net deposits applies on top (Law 27.346 Title III ch. II).

Earmarked levies

  • LOTBA share of online agency net takings: 10% of net takings (recaudación neta) (Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, whose profits fund social assistance and development programmes (Law 538 art. 24))
  • City gross receipts tax (Ingresos Brutos) on online agency income: 6% (City of Buenos Aires (AGIP))
  • Federal indirect tax on online betting: 5% of the player's net deposits; halved where the operator has genuine investment in Argentina; 10% where a foreign party is involved and 15% where that party is in a non-cooperative or low-tax jurisdiction (National Government)

Compliance

Minimum age
18+
National self-exclusion
Registro Voluntario de Autoexclusión (ReVA), City of Buenos Aires (mandatory)
KYC timing
At registration, before any bet
AML regime
Agencies must apply national anti-money laundering law (Law 25.246) and LOTBA's own AML and counter-terrorist-financing compliance manual, and report suspicious or unusual operations to LOTBA (Resolution 321/2018 art. 16; Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II arts. 11(g) and 15).
Deposit limits
Agencies must offer limits on spending, session time and frequency of play, with default values set by LOTBA that are mandatory, and LOTBA may impose fixed spending, loss and time limits (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 11(c)). LOTBA's responsible gambling policy makes a weekly deposit limit a compulsory step of registration.
Loss limits
LOTBA may set fixed loss limits (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 11(c)).
Session limits
Sessions must close automatically at the limits LOTBA sets, with alerts as a player nears time and money limits (Law 6.330 art. 5(5) and (6)); players can take a time out of 24 hours to six weeks under LOTBA's responsible gambling policy.
Central monitoring system
Real-time control tools for LOTBA are mandatory (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 13); LOTBA publishes the data schema of its internal control system (SCI, version 1.7).
KYC requirements
A user account must be opened before any play, identifying the person by name, surname, identity document, address and email, with anti-money laundering due diligence (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 8). Agencies must verify identity and age, offering a two-factor or equivalent identity check (Law 6.330 art. 5(9)), and check every new user against the self-exclusion register. Since 2025 LOTBA requires biometric identity validation (Circular 6 and Disposition DI-2025-963, with 180 days to implement).
Stake limits
Not yet verified
Mandatory player messaging
The warning "EL JUEGO COMPULSIVO ES PERJUDICIAL PARA VOS Y TU FAMILIA" must be shown on authorised channels (Law 6.330 art. 8); players must see time played and money spent (Resolution 321/2018 art. 14) and the help line.
Reporting obligations
Agencies must give LOTBA tools for real-time control and monitoring of sales (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 13) and report suspicious operations.

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Affiliate rules
Owners of media and platforms of any kind that carry gambling advertising in breach of the rules face fines of 25,000 to 75,000 fixed units and confiscation (Contravention Code art. 118 bis, inserted by Law 6.330 art. 37).
Sponsorship rules
Permit holders may not sponsor City government events or media, name stadiums, sports facilities or public spaces, add their brand to the names of clubs, teams or educational activities, or sponsor events aimed at minors (Law 6.330 art. 35).
Celebrity and influencer rules
Athletes, celebrities, public figures and fictional characters may appear only when they deliver the responsible gambling message, and their success may not be linked to betting (Law 6.330 art. 31(f)).
Social media rules
The minors restrictions extend to apps, websites, digital content and video-sharing platforms (Law 6.330 art. 31(b) and (c)).
Bonus advertising rules
Promotions must state their amount and duration clearly, may not increase the chances of winning, may not create a false impression that play is free, may not offer prizes unrelated to the game, may not be run solely for live sports broadcasts and may not target minors or self-excluded people (Law 6.330 art. 33).
Mandatory warnings
Every gambling advertisement must show prominently "EL JUEGO COMPULSIVO ES PERJUDICIAL PARA VOS Y TU FAMILIA" and the help channel set by LOTBA (Law 6.330 art. 34).
Penalties for breach
Permit holders: warning, fine of 10,000 to 75,000 fixed units, suspension and revocation (Law 6.330 arts. 38 to 43). Media and platforms: 25,000 to 75,000 fixed units and confiscation (Contravention Code art. 118 bis).

Restrictions

  • Advertising, promotion and sponsorship of betting games without authorisation is prohibited (Law 6.330 art. 30); advertising may only give basic information and must warn about problem gambling, and under-18s may not appear (Law 538 art. 12).
  • No advertising during, or in the breaks next to, programmes aimed at minors, in apps or web content aimed at minors, or on video-sharing platforms without tools to keep ads from minors (Law 6.330 art. 31(a) to (c)).
  • No advertising aimed at under-18s, linking gambling to personal, social or professional success, creating false expectations of winning, or combining gambling with alcohol or tobacco (Law 6.330 art. 31).
  • No advertising on static or digital supports in public spaces (Law 6.330 art. 31(k)).
  • No non-traditional advertising during live sports broadcasts and no traditional-format promotions tied to a sporting event during its live broadcast (Law 6.330 art. 31(l) and (m)).
  • No advertising aimed at people on the ReVA self-exclusion register, and no unsolicited electronic marketing without prior consent (Law 6.330 arts. 26, 31(j) and 32).

Payments

Credit card ban
Not yet verified
Crypto stance
Not yet verified
Local rails
Banco Ciudad de Buenos Aires (player funds and banking operations)
Payment blocking regime
Payment methods linked to accounts opened for ANSES or other social assistance benefits are banned, as are credit transfers between bettors (Law 6.330 art. 10; Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 10). No City regime blocking payments to unlicensed operators was found.
Withdrawal timeframe rules
Withdrawals must be paid to the player's own bank account within the period set by LOTBA's rules; the permit call treats failure to allow withdrawals within that period as a cause of automatic revocation (convocatoria art. 6(g)).
Currency restrictions
Deposits and withdrawals must be in Argentine pesos; bets in foreign currency or any currency that is not legal tender are not allowed (Resolution 80/2019 Anexo II art. 4). Banking operations go through Banco Ciudad (Law 538 art. 8) and player balances are held in a Banco Ciudad account controlled by LOTBA (convocatoria art. 20).

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Yes
DNS blocking
Not yet verified
Payment blocking
Not yet verified
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Administrative penalties
Online gaming agencies: warning, fine of 1 to 10 fine units of USD 10,000 each, and revocation (LOTBA General Sanctions Regime, 2025); responsible gambling breaches: 10,000 to 75,000 fixed units, suspension of 15 to 30 days and revocation (Law 6.330 arts. 38 to 43).
Criminal penalties
Three to six years in prison for operating or organising games of chance without authorisation from the competent authority (Criminal Code art. 301 bis).
Operator liability
Unauthorised operators commit the federal crime in Criminal Code art. 301 bis; LOTBA investigates illegal sites and the City's specialist gambling prosecutor seeks court blocking orders.

Notable actions

  • Six illegal online betting platforms2 Jul 2026

    Blocked within 48 hours on orders of the City's Criminal, Contraventional and Misdemeanours Courts Nos. 4 and 2, at the request of the specialist gambling prosecutor (FEJA) after an investigation by LOTBA and the Judicial Investigations Corps.

Timeline

  1. 14 Dec 2000

    The Legislature passes Law 538 on betting games

  2. 15 Dec 2016

    Law 5.785 creates Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires S.E. as application authority of Law 538

  3. 6 Nov 2018

    The City and the Province of Buenos Aires sign a framework agreement to coordinate the regulation of online games

  4. 27 Nov 2018

    LOTBA Board Resolution 321/2018 creates the City's online games

  5. 13 Dec 2018

    Legislature Resolution 487/2018 approves the online games

  6. 25 Apr 2019

    LOTBA Board Resolution 80/2019 sets the online game rules and responsible gambling policy

  7. 20 Feb 2020

    LOTBA opens the call for online gaming agency permits (RESDI 15/2020)

  8. 19 Oct 2020

    Law 6.330 on pathological gambling and gambling advertising is promulgated

  9. 24 Jun 2024

    LOTBA closes the call for new online agency permits

  10. 25 Sept 2024

    LOTBA approves its shared liquidity standard for online games

  11. 1 Aug 2025

    LOTBA approves the biometric validation standard for online platforms

  12. 24 Sept 2025

    LOTBA approves its General Sanctions Regime, with a USD 10,000 fine unit for online agencies

  13. 2 Dec 2025

    Decree 452/2025 converts LOTBA into Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires S.A.U.

  14. 1 Jan 2026

    Law 6.927 takes effect, with gross receipts tax of 6% on online agency income

  15. 2 Jul 2026

    LOTBA reports six illegal betting platforms blocked by court order within 48 hours

Outlook

The first agency permits were authorised by LOTBA dispositions in 2021 and run for five years from grant, so decisions on their one-time extension fall due from 2026; no extension decision was found. The call for new permits is closed, though RESDI 16/2024 leaves LOTBA free to reopen it. LOTBA's conversion into an S.A.U. under Decree 452/2025 does not change its role as application authority of Law 538. Nationally, the Executive's May 2026 bill on payment, domain and advertising channels used by illegal operators would add federal tools to the City's court-ordered blocking.

Frequently asked questions

Who regulates online gambling in the City of Buenos Aires?
Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA), a City-owned company that is the application authority of Law 538. It owns the online games and grants permits to private online gaming agencies to sell them. Since Decree 452/2025 it is an S.A.U. rather than a state company.
Can a new operator apply for a City permit?
Not at present. LOTBA closed its call for online gaming agency permits on 24 June 2024, while keeping the option to reopen it. It lists 11 authorised agency sites.
What does a City online agency pay?
A fixed annual charge of USD 100,000, 10% of net takings to LOTBA, and gross receipts tax at 6% on its income in 2026. It must also post a surety bond of USD 2 million, reduced to USD 1 million after certification. The federal tax on players' net deposits applies on top.
Is a City permit valid in the Province of Buenos Aires?
No. The Province is a separate jurisdiction regulated by its own Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos, and operators active in both run separate sites.
Is online poker allowed?
Yes. Poker is listed among the card games that permitted agencies may sell, and since September 2024 LOTBA has a shared liquidity standard for games that pool players from several jurisdictions.
What are the main advertising restrictions?
Law 6.330 bans advertising in public spaces, limits promotion around live sports broadcasts, allows athletes and celebrities only in responsible gambling messages, bans advertising aimed at minors or self-excluded people, and requires the warning "EL JUEGO COMPULSIVO ES PERJUDICIAL PARA VOS Y TU FAMILIA".
How much does a gambling licence cost in Buenos Aires City?
For the Online gaming agency permit (permiso de Agencia de Juego en Línea), the application fee is $30,000 (as of 11 Mar 2022) and the annual fee is $100,000 (as of 11 Mar 2022). Last verified 15 Oct 2026.

iGT 25 companies with ties to Buenos Aires City

Glossary and directory

Sources

Source tiers. Tier 1: the law, official gazette, licence register or regulator itself. Tier 2: other official sources such as ministries, parliaments, courts and statistics agencies. Only tier 1 and tier 2 sources can support a fact on their own.

  1. Law 538, Betting Games Law (Ley de Juegos de Apuesta), updated text

    Boletín Oficial de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 16 Jan 2001
  2. Law 5.785 creating Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires S.E. (LOTBA S.E.)

    Boletín Oficial de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 18 Jan 2017
  3. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 5 Dec 2025
  4. Legislature Resolution 487/2018 approving LOTBA Board Resolution 321/2018 (creation of online games)

    Boletín Oficial de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 11 Mar 2019
  5. LOTBA Board Resolution RESDI-2018-321-LOTBA creating online games (Anexo I)

    Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 27 Nov 2018
  6. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 25 Apr 2019
  7. Online gaming regulations index (Normativa Juego en Línea)

    Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026
  8. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 20 Feb 2020
  9. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 11 Mar 2022
  10. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 25 Jun 2024
  11. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 25 Sept 2024
  12. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 1 Aug 2025
  13. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 24 Sept 2025
  14. Law 6.330 on the prevention of pathological gambling (City of Buenos Aires)

    Legislatura de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (text published by LOTBA) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 26 Oct 2020
  15. LOTBA: authorised online gaming sites (sitios autorizados)

    Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026
  16. Safe and legal gambling (Juego seguro y legal): authorised sites and control

    Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026
  17. Golpe al juego ilegal: six illegal online betting sites blocked within 48 hours

    Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 2 Jul 2026
  18. Law 6.927, Tax Law (Ley Impositiva) for 2026, updated text including Law 6.948

    Boletín Oficial de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 19 Dec 2025
  19. Tier 1Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 27 Dec 2016
  20. El Gobierno nacional presentó un proyecto para prevenir la ludopatía

    Gobierno de la República Argentina (argentina.gob.ar)

    Tier 2Accessed 15 Oct 2026Published 26 May 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

Cookie Preferences

Choose which cookies you want to accept. Essential cookies are required for the website to function properly.

Required

Necessary for the website to function. Cannot be disabled.

Help us understand how visitors interact with our website.

Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track ad performance.

Remember your preferences and settings for a better experience.