TLDR
- Buenos Aires passed a law barring child support debtors from online gambling accounts.
- Operators licensed by LOTBA must check a debtor registry in real time before opening accounts.
- Existing accounts will also be checked and suspended if the holder owes child support.
- The registry currently lists about 13,500 people, including 8,000 city residents.
- Officials linked the law to existing bans on debtors attending stadiums and large events.
Buenos Aires has passed a new law stopping people who owe child support from using online betting sites. The Buenos Aires Legislature approved the measure this week.
It applies to anyone listed on the city’s Public Registry of Delinquent Child Support Debtors, known as RPAM. Debtors on this list can no longer deposit money, withdraw funds, place bets, or open accounts on sites licensed by Lotería de la Ciudad, or LOTBA.
The rule covers all types of internet gambling regulated by LOTBA. This includes games of chance and games of skill.
Operators Must Check The Registry In Real Time
Under the new system, gambling operators must check the RPAM automatically before letting anyone open a new account. This check has to happen in real time, not after the fact.
The same rule applies to people who already have betting accounts. If someone is found on the debtor registry and has an active account, LOTBA will suspend it right away.
LOTBA will then notify both the registry and the Buenos Aires judiciary. Operators that fail to follow the verification rules face escalating penalties under the city’s gambling and violations laws.
Buenos Aires Government Chief Jorge Macri spoke about the new rule this week. He said it adds another consequence for people who do not meet their parental duties.
“In the city, child support debtors cannot enter stadiums or attend mass events,” Macri said. “Now, they also cannot place online bets.”
He added that the rule is simple. People who fail to provide for their children should face consequences.
LOTBA Links The Law To Responsible Gambling
The new rule adds Article 17 bis to Law No. 269. That is the same law that created the city’s debtor registry in the first place.
The update also sets rules for how operators must handle personal data during the automated checks. LOTBA President Jesús Acevedo welcomed the new law this week.
He said the rule connects responsible gambling policy with child protection. Acevedo said regulated gambling can support policies that protect minors and hold adults accountable.
“Anyone who has a child support debt has an obligation that must be fulfilled,” Acevedo said. He added that such a person should not be allowed to spend money on betting instead.
The registry currently includes about 13,500 people. Of those, roughly 8,000 live in Buenos Aires.
The remaining 5,500 come from 14 provinces that have signed cooperation agreements with the city. The Ministry of Justice of the Province of Buenos Aires manages the registry.
This new betting restriction matches other limits already placed on registered debtors. Those include bans on entering stadiums and attending large public events.
Licensed gambling operators in Buenos Aires now must build the real-time registry check into their account systems. They also have to follow personal data protection rules while doing so.
The law takes immediate effect for new and existing accounts across all LOTBA-licensed platforms.
