The Industry and Mining Committee of the Buenos Aires Senate addressed the project of Senator Carlos Kikuchi.
Argentina.- Yesterday, Tuesday, October 29, a meeting of the members of the Industry and Mining Committee took place in the Antonio Cafiero Hall of the Buenos Aires Province Senate, where a project for a “Comprehensive Gambling Law in the Buenos Aires jurisdiction” was analyzed.
For this occasion, stakeholders from different modalities of the system were convened with the intention of gathering contributions and inputs to enrich the proposal. The committee is chaired by Senator Sergio Vargas from La Libertad Avanza. He was accompanied in person by Daniela Viera (Union for the Homeland), Marcelo Daletto (UCR + Cambio Federal), Ariel Martínez Bordaisco (UCR + Cambio Federal), and Agustín Máspoli (UCR + Cambio Federal). Participating remotely were the First Vice President of the Senate Luis Vivona (Union for the Homeland), Marcelo Feliú (Union for the Homeland), Eduardo Bucca (Union for the Homeland), and María Eugenia Subiza (PRO).
During the parliamentary meeting, the main guidelines of a bill presented by Senator Carlos Kikuchi were analyzed, proposing to advance with comprehensive gambling legislation in the province of Buenos Aires to ensure public order protection, eradicate illegal gambling, protect minors' rights, and safeguard the rights of game participants.
The text also proposes the implementation of an appropriate tax regime that allows collecting funds to be allocated to priority areas such as health, education, social assistance, and sports.
The initiative establishes measures to prevent minors and vulnerable people from accessing gambling, as well as to raise awareness about the risks of gambling addiction and promote responsible gambling.
See also: Youth Gambling Prevention: Buenos Aires Province created an inter-ministerial board to address it
Both Kikuchi and his fellow party member, Silvana Ventura, actively participated in the meeting as they, along with the committee head, Sergio Vargas, were involved in drafting the proposal aimed at modernizing gambling and eliminating clandestine remnants that do not contribute taxes. Kikuchi explained that the bill intends to advance with the establishment of biometric data for entry into online gaming sites.
The file being analyzed in the committee prompted this occasion's visit by various actors from the gaming system in its different modalities, to receive contributions and inputs that contribute to enriching the proposal.
Representatives from the lottery and betting agencies chambers participated in the meeting, expressing their concerns about the difficulties brought by the emergence of clandestine gambling and online formats. They explained that the activity is on the verge of collapse and that about 200 agencies have closed in the provincial scope. In this regard, CAOLAB requested the inclusion of online games in legal establishments as well as the reduction of tax pressure on the activity.
The representatives of the equestrian sector, from Buenos Aires racetracks and thoroughbred owners, also conveyed their complaints to the committee members about the proliferation of clandestine gambling that defunds the sector. At the same time, they emphasized maintaining the 800,000 jobs generated by the turf activity.
