The Civic Coalition bloc of deputies urged the Senate to pass the bill to combat ludopathy, which was approved a year ago by the Chamber of Deputies. Deputies Maximiliano Ferraro and Mónica Frade called on social media for senators to advance this initiative to fight the disease, which is now strongly affecting adolescents. "Seniors, ludopathy is an attack on life," they said. They added that "the banking sector will continue to earn as long as the political will keeps betting its chips." Frade also noted that almost a year ago, the Senate received the bill passed by the Chamber of Deputies. It appears that the lobbyists worked in line with the government, which never wanted to touch this "playful" way of money laundering and destroying the future of thousands of Argentines who go into debt every day with bets, invited by popular figures who act as influencers and get rich at the expense of each one. The initiative was approved on November 27, 2024, but no progress has yet been made in the consideration of this project, which was referred to three Senate committees. Only the president of the Health Commission, Kirchnerist Lucia Corpacci, held meetings with specialists and an analysis began at the advisor level. The General Legislation, Justice and Criminal Affairs committees, chaired by government officials Bartolomé Abdala and Juan Carlos Pagotto, have not considered this project, which is rejected by the Government. The text passed by Deputies imposes strong restrictions on online betting companies nationwide by prohibiting the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of online gambling and betting. In this sense, it prohibits advertising on platforms and social networks, information and communication technologies, audiovisual communication and outdoor advertising, as well as on sportswear, public road billboards or in private public spaces. This extensive list is joined by bans in print, radio and television media, and "the placement of the product or any other means of communication, current or future, that by virtue of technological advances may be used for the same purposes." It only allows advertising within casinos, bingo halls, racetracks and other betting houses or lottery agencies. "Don't let the half-sanction of the Ludopathy Prevention Law fall through," the statement said. The text also prohibits young people's access to digital platforms, as well as the advertising of gambling games on football shirts and at mass events. Penalties of three to eight years are established for anyone who organizes or administers any system for collecting funds for gambling without the authorization of the competent jurisdiction. The restrictive nature of the regulation, delayed in the Senate, has opened debates on the scope of Congress to advance, for example, on issues that may be considered a provincial competence. In contrast to this view, those who promoted this text in the Lower House highlighted that the Legislative Branch can move forward because the regulation is strictly linked to a public health issue.
