Buenos Aires Province’s new 2% contribution on prizes from online immediate-resolution games has triggered criticism from opposition politicians and exposed divisions within the governing Peronist movement, moving the debate beyond the mechanics of the levy and towards the use of gambling derived revenue.
The measure, implemented through Resolution 1149/2026 of the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos, began to apply on 8 September. It covers prizes from successive bets on immediate resolution online games, including virtual slots, while excluding sports betting.
The provincial government has estimated that the contribution could generate between ARS35bn and ARS40bn in additional monthly revenue.
The resolution does not create an entirely new statutory framework. Article 137 of Buenos Aires Province Law 15.079, enacted in 2018, had already provided for a contribution of between 1% and 3% on prizes generated by successive bets on immediate-resolution games. Resolution 1149/2026 sets the rate at 2% and establishes the collection process for licensed online operators.
However, the policy has become a point of political contention. Argentine media reported that figures associated with La Cámpora, the Kirchnerist political organisation linked to former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and led by her son Máximo Kirchner, questioned why the provincial government had not activated the mechanism earlier, given that the enabling legislation has been in force since 2018.
Reports also indicated calls within the movement for a more comprehensive policy response to online gambling and gambling-related harm.
Opposition legislators have challenged the policy’s underlying rationale. Diego Garciarena, leader of the UCR–Cambio Federal bloc in the provincial Chamber of Deputies, criticised the government for seeking additional gambling revenue while presenting the proceeds as support for gambling-harm prevention. He argued that the state should prioritise stronger safeguards for people vulnerable to gambling-related harm.
The levy has also prompted a formal request for greater transparency. UCR provincial deputy Valentín Miranda has submitted a request for information seeking details of projected revenue, the intended destination of the funds, the programmes and agencies expected to receive them, and the relationship between the measure and the province’s gambling-harm policies.
Under Article 137, the proceeds are allocated first to municipalities through the provincial co-participation system, with the balance directed to the Fondo de Progreso e Inclusión Social, or FOPIS, which supports health, education and social-development programmes. The Kicillof administration has said gambling-harm prevention will be among the areas supported by the new revenue.
The dispute highlights a continuing tension in Buenos Aires Province’s online gambling policy. The province has paired a licensed market and identity-verification requirements with action against unlicensed websites, while also seeking to increase fiscal returns from legal online gambling. The administration says it has submitted more than 800 complaints against unauthorised platforms and secured blocks against 537 sites.
The debate also comes as Buenos Aires Province’s Chamber of Deputies prepares to resume work on online-gambling safeguards. Its Committee on Gambling, Lottery and Prevention of Gambling Addiction is due to meet on 16 September to consider 27 active proposals covering youth protection, gambling advertising, access controls and the regulation of online casinos. The discussion may therefore test whether the province can pair its new gambling-revenue measure with a broader legislative response to gambling-related harm.