ES
IT
PT
DE
NL
Buenos Aires City has approved a law barring people registered as delinquent child-support payers from opening or maintaining accounts with authorised online gambling and betting platforms.
The measure was approved by the Buenos Aires City Legislature with 43 votes in favour and 14 against. All 14 members of La Libertad Avanza voted against the proposal, which was introduced by legislator Leandro Santoro.
The law amends Law No. 269, which governs the Registro Público de Alimentantes Morosos, or Public Registry of Delinquent Child-Support Payers. People listed on the register will be prohibited from opening or maintaining active accounts with online gambling platforms authorised in Buenos Aires, as well as from making deposits, placing bets or withdrawing funds.
The restriction applies to games of chance and games of skill offered through platforms authorised by Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, known as LOTBA.
Operators will be required to conduct automated, real-time checks of the register before enabling a customer to open an account or conduct transactions. If an existing customer is subsequently entered on the register, the operator must immediately suspend the account and notify both the registry and the relevant judicial authority.
The measure includes data-protection safeguards. The automated check may only establish whether a person appears in the register; the information cannot be retained, used commercially or used to create consumer profiles. Buenos Aires’ executive branch, working with LOTBA, will be responsible for establishing the technical system for the checks.
Operators that fail to comply will face sanctions under the city’s gambling regulatory framework. The executive branch has 30 days after publication of the law in the Official Gazette to issue the implementing rules.
Santoro criticised La Libertad Avanza’s opposition after the vote, asking why legislators would oppose restricting online gambling by people who have failed to meet child-support obligations.
“I can’t believe anyone could think it makes sense for a father, instead of taking responsibility for raising his child, to put money into online betting,” Santoro said.
