A recent bill has been introduced in the Buenos Aires legislature to ban online gambling advertising in Argentina. The bill aims to prevent underage gambling in the country. Jorge Martín Rodríguez, a provincial deputy of Unión por la Patria, believes that amending Law No. 15,079 on online gambling advertising will help address a public health issue through urgent action. This move follows discussions by Julieta Calmels, the undersecretary of Mental Health, Problematic Consumption and Violence in Buenos Aires province, and Gonzalo Atanasof, the president of the Lottery and Casino Institute of the Province of Buenos Aires, regarding bills related to preventing gambling addictions among children.
Rei do Pitaco recently submitted its license application in Brazil, becoming the third operator to do so after Betano and Superbet. Rei do Pitaco, which initially focused on daily fantasy sports before expanding into sports betting in 2022, submitted its application within the initial 90-day window of preference. This window is set to close on August 20, ensuring that operators will have their applications processed in time for the expected legal market launch date of January 1, 2025.
Betsson reported record revenue growth of 21.8 percent in Latin America during Q2 of 2024, driven by increased activity in its casino offering. The operator’s revenue reached an all-time high of €62.6 million ($68 million) for the three-month period, with Latin America accounting for 23 percent of its regulated revenues. While Argentina and Colombia experienced growth, Peru saw a slight drop in revenue due to lower sports betting activity and a reduced betting margin. Betsson obtained two local licenses in Peru in June.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) highlighted the potential of the onshore online market in Brazil, projecting that the sector could generate $2.28 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) by 2025. The IBIA estimates that the market’s GGR could increase to $2.86 billion by 2028. Despite concerns about the offshore gambling market impacting tax revenue, Brazil only had one suspicious betting alert in Q2, compared to four alerts in the same quarter last year.
Betano, a leading operator in Brazil, remains offline in Rio de Janeiro despite receiving an injunction against the sanction on July 19. The National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) blocked Betano’s site in response to a request from the state lottery of Rio de Janeiro. As of July 25, Betano is still inaccessible to players in the city, although the company remains hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon.
Lotopar, a Brazilian lottery operator, reported public contributions of R$27.5 million ($4.95 million) in the first half of 2024. These funds will support public housing, public safety, and various social causes. Additionally, revenue from fixed-odds betting contributions amounted to R$25 million ($4.4 million) during the same period, according to Games Magazine Brazil.
