The Legislative Assembly of the city of Buenos Aires authorized changes in the legislation for the online gaming sector, which now grants the participation of face-to-face operators in the bidding process.
In addition, the authorities have passed a law that mandates a clean record. In other words, it bars the involvement of people with problems in justice for crimes, such as money laundering.
The casinos and physical gambling houses of Buenos Aires, already have the liberation to enter the bidding regarding online games. These changes occurred with 27 votes in favor, 5 against and 26 abstentions.
Although a measure approved in February this year determined that face-to-face operators would not be entitled, the negative impact of the new coronavirus pandemic resulted in a drastic change in this issue.
Buenos Aires authorities change rules for online gaming industry
The authorities also approved a proposal related to gambling, so that the government has the competence to deal with gambling addiction aiming to create prevention and support mechanisms, as well as ways to control advertising in the online segment. The project had 37 votes in favor, 4 against and 15 abstentions.
In contrast, the “clean sheet” measure was adopted with 37 votes in favor, 4 against and 16 abstentions. This change was added after an indication from the Civic Coalition that people with sentences for serious crimes or those with ongoing lawsuits cannot apply for authorization for online games.
According to SBC Notícias, the expectation is that the government can count on 500 to 700 million pesos annually from the online industry.
To take effect, these changes need only the approval of the city’s governor, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, whose party led the entire process of changing current legislation.
For this reason, it is likely that all the changes proposed by the Legislative Assembly of the city of Buenos Aires will have Larreta’s approval.
