The head of the Buenos Aires Provincial Lottery and Casino Institute has issued online operating permits to seven gaming firms, including brands under William Hill, Playtech, and Betsson.
The Buenos Aires Province has granted seven online gambling licenses. On December 31, 2020, officials declared that licenses were given to Argenbingo, which partnered with William Hill; Pasteko, which partnered with bet365; Hotel Casino Tandil, which partnered with Playtech and 888 Holdings, and 888 Holdings, which partnered with Boldt.
Furthermore, Atlantica de Juegos and Flutter Entertainment; Binbaires, which partnered with Intralot, and Casino de Victoria, which partnered with Betsson, also received permits.
Licensed businesses will be required to pay a set fee of 65 million Argentine pesos (£56.5 million / €62.5 million / $76.8 million), of which 26 million Argentine pesos must be paid upon signing the formal license grant agreement, with the remaining amount to be paid later. They will also pay a 25% tax on total revenue.
Within 10 days of signing the license, operators must provide the regulator with compliance assurances to ensure they will fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the provincial regulations.
Rules state that licenses can only be issued if operated by natural persons or legal entities, or public or private entities with registered addresses in Buenos Aires Province.
International businesses seeking permits in Argentina are only allowed to operate under a temporary joint venture (UTE) arrangement. This mandates that local individuals or organizations maintain a minimum 15% stake in the enterprise.
In January of the previous year, seven operator applications were granted approval. However, the Betsson and Victoria Casino partnership was excluded, despite initial expectations of receiving the eighth permit.
Following the withdrawal of applications from Paddy Power Betfair and Bingo Pilar, Flutter acquired The Stars Group, subsequently securing one of the seven available licenses.
The state’s licensing procedure officially commenced in June 2019. Selection criteria included industry experience, financial resources, and data security protocols.
However, the process appears to have stalled following the election of Governor Axel Kicillof. This resulted in a delay of over a year for the state’s official gazette to confirm the licenses.
Concurrently, the City of Buenos Aires established its own regulatory framework. This framework allows operators, and subsequently land-based gambling businesses, to apply for licenses to operate within the Argentine capital.
This framework established an annual license fee of $100,000 and a license processing fee of $30,000. Operators operating within the capital are required to contribute 10% of their gross revenue in taxes.