Buenos Aires provincial senator Federico Fagioli has introduced a bill to prohibit online sports betting and casino games, proposing the removal of the licensing framework that currently authorises the activity in the province.
The initiative, dubbed the “Ley Lula” by provincial political outlet Diputados Bonaerenses, would repeal articles 146 to 173 of Law 15,079. Existing authorisations would terminate automatically 30 calendar days after the legislation took effect, while new licences would be prohibited from its commencement.
Fagioli, a member of the Fuerza Patria bloc, is proposing a different approach from the regulatory framework being debated separately in the provincial Chamber of Deputies. His bill would replace licensed online betting with a prohibition backed by enforcement and prevention measures.
The ban would cover online sports betting and casino games, alongside other virtual gambling involving money and outcomes determined wholly or predominantly by chance. It would apply to customers in Buenos Aires province, regardless of where operators were based.
Traditional official lotteries, quiniela and draws administered under the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos would remain exempt, including their electronic sale where expressly authorised.
Operators would have to stop accepting deposits for affected activities from the law’s commencement. Within ten calendar days, they would have to prevent new games, remove advertising and block access for users in the province.
Commercial promotion of online betting, including sponsorship and affiliate marketing, would be banned. The regulator would seek the blocking or removal of offending websites, applications and digital profiles. Enforcement would also target financial channels supporting prohibited gambling, with sanctions including fines, closures, confiscation and disqualification.
In the bill’s justification, Fagioli argues that continuous access through digital devices and promotion on social media create challenges for public health and consumer protection, particularly for children and adolescents. The initiative would retain and strengthen prevention, assistance and treatment policies established under Law 15,131.
The prohibition proposal is separate from a bill by provincial deputies Facundo Tignanelli and Micaela Olivetto, which, as previously reported by Informar, would introduce stricter verification and advertising controls rather than abolish licensed online betting.
Fagioli’s proposal enters a provincial debate already focused on tighter controls for licensed operators. A separate Chamber of Deputies bill would impose stricter verification and advertising rules rather than abolish online betting, but it has yet to secure the committee support needed to advance. Fagioli’s initiative remains a proposal and has not been enacted.