Online Betting In Argentina: Betting Sites & Laws

Last Updated: March 4, 2024

Online Gambling ArgentinaOnline betting in Argentina is legal and governed by a number of different pieces of legislation.

That legislation and a table showing legal Argentina betting sites are detailed on this page – we do our best to keep this list as up to date as possible but if one of the options isn’t available to you please try your second choice.

Note: you’ll be able to deposit using your home currency but bets will be placed and settled in US Dollars and then converted back when you make a withdrawal. IF you can deposit using Dollars directly you’ll save on exchange fees.

Key Facts: Online Gambling In Argentina

  • Online betting and gambling legal with licensed operators (since 2006).
  • Football betting (soccer) is the most popular with punters.
  • Legal gambling age is 18+.
  • Overseas providers legal with a license.
  • New laws proposed to help with self exclusion and addiction prevention.

Best Betting Sites For Argentina: Top 3

The following is a list of the best betting sites for residents of Argentina:

  1. William Hill
  2. Unibet
  3. 888Sport
1
william hill
100% up to $100
WILLIAM HILL REVIEW
CLAIM BONUS!
T&C’s apply – 18+.
2
unibet
100% up to $100
UNIBET REVIEW
CLAIM BONUS!
T&C’s apply – 18+.
3
888sport
Bet $10 Get $30
888SPORT REVIEW
CLAIM BONUS!
T&C’s apply – 18+.

Gambling Legislation: Is it legal or illegal?

The history of gambling legislation in Argentina is a long and sometimes complex one. The below timeline will highlight the major staging points in order to try and clear things up as much as possible.

1882-1966 – Foundation of the First Argentinian Jockey Clubs

It was horse racing which first really brought gambling into the mainstream Argentinian culture, when the Jockey Club of Buenos Aires was founded in 1882. In the ensuing decades, the number of racecourses in the country expanded greatly and in 1966 a national Argentine Jockey Club was founded.

1979 – Establishment of Totaliser Gambling System

In 1979 a comprehensive nationwide totaliser gambling system was implemented in Argentine to cater for betting at racecourses. The system encompassed a total of 597 cash-betting machines.

2002-2006 – Off-Course Betting and Online Gambling Licenses

The first state sanctioned online gambling licence in Argentina was granted to an online casino in 2002. This was followed in 2004 by the introduction of off-course sports betting options both at lottery establishments and over the phone.

The first official licence for an online sportsbook was granted in 2006.

2008 – Attempted Crackdown on Overseas Providers

In 2008, the Argentine government made it illegal for unlicensed overseas providers to offer a betting service to the country’s residents. Foreign companies can still be granted licences in Argentina, however, and the actual legislation banning unlicensed overseas providers has proven difficult to enforce.

2016 – New Law to ‘Prevent Gambling Addiction’

In the summer of 2016, a proposed new law aimed at preventing gambling addiction garnered ‘favourable opinion from the Commission on Addiction Prevention and Control of Drug Trafficking in the Argentine house of representatives’. The law would create a ‘National Register of Voluntary Self-Exclusion’ and set up a national gambling helpline, amongst other measures. Before it is passed, the law must be debated in the countries committees of Social Action and Public Health and Finance.

2019 – Decree 181 Passed In Buenos Aires

The 2019 Budget signed into law into Buenos Aires overhauls the framework by which online gambling is regulated and taxed in the region. The decree allows for gambling licenses to be issued to seven different online operators and paves the way for future attitudes and regulation towards online gaming across the nation.

Tax on Winnings in Argentina

Gambling TaxAnother important area of legislation when it comes to betting and gambling in any country is that related to the taxation of winnings. In Argentina, part of the reason why the government has been more relaxed in its attitude toward gambling of all kinds is because of the tax revenue which the industry can generate.

Fortunately for punters, however, to date it is the betting sites and services which are liable for taxation from the Argentine government and not punters themselves. This includes a 25% tax imposed upon gambling machines in 2013 and a Gaming Tax which saw its rate increased from 16% to 22% in 2014.

As of 2019 all gambling in Buenos Aires is taxed at 25% paid by the operator and not the player.

Gambling taxes in Argentina do not affect an individual punter’s winnings and are only levied upon the gambling providers but they do help to explain why the government are keen to crack down on overseas providers who do not pay tax in the country.

Deposit Methods

Deposit OptionsIn general terms, any deposit method which an Argentinian punter individually prefers should be fine if using a fully licensed gambling site.

However we have had problems reported with using card payments. You should try these first but if they don’t work then depositing via an e-wallet service such as Skrill or Neteller should solve any problems you have.