Thanks to the major operation, an organization that exploited illegal online gaming platforms was dismantled.
Argentina.- Due to complaints made by the City of Buenos Aires through Lotería de la Ciudad (LOTBA) to combat childhood gambling addiction and illegal betting, yesterday, Tuesday, October 8, the Justice Department conducted 30 raids and dismantled an organization that exploited illegal online gaming platforms. The major operation resulted in four arrests, more than 1800 illegal pages blocked, and judicial notifications to 14 influencers.
The head of the Buenos Aires government, Jorge Macri, stated: "When we started discussing this issue, childhood gambling addiction was hardly talked about. But the issue was at home, in schools. This morning, following investigations by LOTBA and the Justice, raids were carried out. We will continue to fight illegal gambling because, besides being a crime, it endangers the health and freedom of our most valuable assets, the children. We have said from the beginning: 'Children and betting, no!´”.
As part of the operation, at least 1,835 sites were blocked, adding to the list of more than 200 pages that the City's Public Prosecutor's Office had already removed in September of this year. Additionally, 14 celebrities and influencers were judicially notified for “promoting and recruiting bettors through advertising they have carried out on social networks and other media.”
Among the items seized by the City Police, the Federal Police, the Buenos Aires Province Police, and the Judicial Investigations Corps (CIJ) of the City's Public Prosecutor's Office were more than AR$250m, dollars, and firearms.
“The coordinated work allows us to take a further step in the fight against childhood gambling addiction, a dangerous addiction; a new silent pandemic that we have been combating since we took office,” added Jorge Macri at the headquarters of the Judicial Investigations Corps. He was accompanied by the Minister of Justice, Gabino Tapia, the City's Attorney General, Juan Bautista Mahiques; and the president of LOTBA, Jesús Acevedo.
The investigations originated from complaints and presentations by the Buenos Aires government, through the Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA), the Association of Lotteries, Casinos, and Quinielas of Argentina (ALEA), ENACOM, and virtual wallets.
Initially, LOTBA filed lawsuits against the website 1XBET and its variants, which, along with other profiles on social networks, recruited users to manage bets clandestinely. Also, an individual filed a complaint against the influencer “marito.laurens” for promoting an illegal casino, and LOTBA denounced a group of influencers who promote illegal bets and connect players with intermediaries known as “cashiers,” who manage accounts and transactions.
The Federal Police Cyberpatrol Division also intervened, identifying over five months various users who promoted online games trying to recruit players for the “Virtual Casino.”
Jorge Macri explained: “This state policy also involves the Legislative Power. That's why we are working with the Buenos Aires Legislature to pass a law on childhood gambling addiction as soon as possible. From the Executive, we have been sustaining this fight with three main axes: limitation, control, and prevention”.
Among the measures taken by the City to tackle childhood gambling addiction is the closure of registration for new licenses and a cap of 11 operators, who are currently active and regulated. Additionally, 55 awareness workshops have been conducted, reaching more than 6,000 students, and access to online gaming sites has been blocked in 1,770 schools.
Furthermore, gaming sites were blocked on school WIFI networks, and access to 1271 legal and illegal pages was blocked from the WIFI network of all public management schools in the City. And to prevent excessive use of electronic devices and the harm caused by gambling addiction, the City regulated the use of cell phones in all Buenos Aires schools. The measure aims to protect the development of children and adolescents, encourage concentration in class, and promote socialization during breaks. It impacts 566,000 students from 2,291 schools in the City of Buenos Aires at the initial, primary, and secondary levels, both public and private.
“Today's operation represents a significant advance in our fight against illegal gambling. I thank the work of the prosecutors and all the security forces that participated,” expressed Mahiques.
For his part, the president of LOTBA, Jesús Acevedo, added: "The access of minors to online betting games occurs on illegal sites. From the City Lottery, we ensure that legal operators comply with the highest security standards in the country and the region to operate and we combat illegal gambling. This operation is the result of joint work and a great advance in the fight against childhood gambling addiction."
The raids were ordered by the Specialized Criminal Prosecutor's Office in Gambling (FEJA) and the Specialized Cybercrime Unit (UFEIC) of San Isidro, led by Juan Rozas and Alejandro Musso, respectively.
