Bill to Ban Online Gambling Advertising in Argentina
A bill has been presented in the Buenos Aires legislature that is proposing to ban online gambling advertising, with the aim of preventing underage gambling in Argentina.
Jorge Martín Rodríguez, provincial deputy of Unión por la Patria, believes the plans to amend Law No. 15,079 on online gambling advertising will “address a public health problem” with “urgent action”.
The bill comes after Julieta Calmels, the undersecretary of Mental Health, Problematic Consumption and Violence in Buenos Aires province, and Lottery and Casino Institute of the Province of Buenos Aires president Gonzalo Atanasof both spoke to the legislature in recent weeks on bills relating to the prevention of gambling addictions among children.
Rei do Pitaco Submits Brazil License Application
On July 19, Rei do Pitaco joined Betano and Superbet as it became the third operator to submit its licence application in Brazil.
Rei do Pitaco, which started out as a daily fantasy sports operator before moving into the sports betting vertical in 2022, submitted its application with just over a month to go until the 90-day initial window of preference closes.
That window, which ensures operators will have their applications processed by the expected legal market launch date of January 1, 2025, will shut on August 20.
Betsson Sees Record Growth in LatAm During Q2
In its Q2 2024 results European betting and gaming brand Betsson reported record revenue growth of 21.8 percent in LatAm, thanks to increased activity on its casino offering. Revenue came in at an all-time high of €62.6m ($68m) for the three month period.
LatAm subsequently accounted for 23 percent of the operator’s regulated revenues. Argentina and Colombia both reported growth, while Peru saw revenues drop slightly year-on-year due to lower sports betting activity and a lower betting margin. Betsson secured two local licenses in Peru in June.
IBIA Highlights Brazil Potential Despite Black Market Fears
The International Betting Integrity Association’s (IBIA) Q2 Integrity Report highlighted the growth of the onshore online market in Brazil, predicting the sector will hit $2.28 billion (£1.76 billion /€2.10 billion) in 2025 gross gaming revenue (GGR).
The IBIA estimates the market’s GGR could reach $2.86 billion by 2028. However, the association also warned Brazil could miss out on $59 million in tax by 2028 due to offshore gambling, which it estimated could generate $182.9 million in GGR that year.
Despite the concerns over the offshore market, the IBIA’s report revealed Brazil only had one suspicious betting alert during Q2. During the same quarter last year, four suspicious betting notifications were triggered in the country.
Betano Remains Offline in Rio de Janeiro
Leading operator in Brazil Betano told players its site was still blocked in the country’s capital Rio de Janeiro this week, despite the firm receiving an injunction against the sanction on July 19.
Betano was blocked in the city by the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) in response to a request made by the state lottery of Rio de Janeiro.
As of July 25, Betano was still blocked for players. It told customers it remained optimistic that this issue would be resolved quickly.
Lotopar Contributes Millions Towards Social Causes in H1 2024
Brazilian lottery operator Lotopar (Loteria do Estado do Paraná) reported public contributions of R$27.5 million ($ 4.95 million) in the first six months of 2024.
The funds will be used to pay for public housing, public safety, and social causes. Games Magazine Brazil said the amount was in addition to revenue from fixed-odds betting contributions, which came in at R$25 million ($4.4 million).
