Written by: Joseph Falchetti, Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert
Last updated:
8 minute read

Argentina Sports Betting

Argentina-Sports-Betting

Argentina Sports Betting
Status:Gray Area
B&M Availability:Lawful
Online Availability:Gray Area
Minimum Age:18+
Restrictions:None

Argentina’s sports betting history goes back at least 140 years when the Argentine Hippodrome first opened. Argentina’s legal land-based casino industry came less than a generation later, with a variety of famous Argentine casinos operating over the decades. Sports betting became mainstream in the 1960s and 1970s when new regulators took over the industry and PRODE sports forecasting was launched.

This guide to Argentina sports betting describes the many forms of gambling in Argentina but focuses on the evolution of sports betting laws in Argentina over the years. I’ll describe the legality of sports betting in Argentina while providing links to regulatory agencies where you can research more about Argentine gaming laws. This article also provides information on the colorful gambling history of Argentina. Finally, this guide discusses the factors important to Argentina’s sports bettors, while making a few recommendations on online sportsbooks Argentinians will like.

Argentina Sports Betting Legality

Argentina’s online sports betting legality is handled by a patchwork of state and provincial governments, somewhat like the German, Canadian, or American federal systems. A player can only play at gaming sites licensed in their home region. In 2012, Bwin. Party had issues with Argentine gaming laws and withdrew from the market, so the laws do have an effect.

Online gambling is banned in Buenos Aires, making trouble for some licensed online gaming operators. Over the past few years, national lawmakers have tried to pass legislation which would legalize and regulate online gambling throughout Argentina. A winning coalition has failed to coalesce around licensed online gambling so far, but a large unregulated online sportsbook market exists.

Safety of Online Sports Betting in Argentina

fair-bettingBecause Argentina’s online sports betting market remains unregulated, the safety of your Internet sportsbook is important. Though a site might be unregulated by Argentine government agencies, does not mean it is unlicensed.

All of the top international online bookmaker sites which accept Argentinians are licensed by regulators in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Malta, Kahnawake, or a handful of other places. Be certain you are signing up with an online sportsbook licensed by a legitimate, trusted gaming regulator.

Catering to Argentina’s Sports Bettors

Argentina has a varied set of sports. South American and European football are popular, but Argentinian athletes are world famous for basketball, tennis, and boxing. Manu Ginobli, Luis Scola, and Carlos Delfino have been NBA stars and combined to help Argentina beat the US National Team 89-81 and win the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal.

Argentina has had a large number of famous tennis players, including Juan Martin del Potro, Guillermo Vilas, Gabriela Sabatini, David Nalbandian, Guillermo Coria, and Guillermo Canas. Carlos Monzon and Oscar Bonavena are Hall of Fame boxers, while Sergio Martinez and Marcos Maidana are big-name boxers from this past generation.

Given the country’s mild climate, Argentine athletes compete in a wide range of sports, including auto racing, cycling, swimming, volleyball, sailing, field hockey, handball. Golf, polo, and cricket are less popular but still have their followers. Sportsbooks which cater to Argentina’s sports bettors should offer wagers on all the sporting events described. While most Argentinians speak Spanish, many speak English and 1.5 million speak Italian, due to immigration from Italy in the 19th and early 20th century.

Online Sports Betting in Argentina

A breakdown of what it’s like to bet online sports in Argentina

Top Argentine Sports to Bet On

  • Soccer-betting
  • basketball betting
  • tennis betting
  • horse betting
Currencies
  • US dollar
  • btc currency

Languages

  • English betting
  • Spanish Betting

These options may not be available at all sportsbooks but represent typical experiences.

Best Argentine Betting Sites

While there are many betting sites which accept Argentinian sports bettors, some bookmakers are better than others. We recommend several Argentine gambling sites that are perfect for sports betting enthusiasts. These sites are licensed by authorities in the UK, Gibraltar, or Malta. Each of them has a reputation for safety and security, while offering fast and reliable payouts to winning sports bettors. Each provides dozens of sports betting markets, while offering live/in-play betting for sports gamblers who want to make multiple bets during a live sporting event.

Top Ranked Argentinian Betting Site – Sportsbetting.ag

  • Accepts all major credit cards
  • Accepts Litecoin, Bitcoin other cryptos
  • Large assortment of sports betting markets
  • Competitive odds for betting on many sports
  • European football specific bonuses offered for the Cup

Why Is Sportsbook.ag The Best?

The SportsBetting.ag betting site offers most of the biggest sports, including Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey (read review). They also have other international sports like soccer, rugby, and cricket. For the avid bettor, you can use their Live Betting to place bets in real-time. Pick from among dozens of different wagers you can place on a single match-up, along with great prop bets.

SportsBetting.ag offers new members plenty of bonuses, like their 50% up to $1,000 in Free Bets using the code “SB1000“. For those that use Bitcoin, can take advantage of their $20 up to $500 Bitcoin bonus using the promo code “BETCRYPTO“. Take advantage of their bonuses, live betting, and incredible sports betting odds with a sign-up bonus of 50% Up To $1,000. Check out Sportsbetting.ag to place bets and win!

Great for Betting on International Sports — 888 Sport

  • One of the most trusted betting sites in history.
  • Lots of promotions and bonuses throughout the year..
  • Some of the best betting software online.
  • Massive wagering limits.

Why bet at 888 Sports?

888 Sport is great for betting on international sports (read review). While Betway Sports might be the best for South American sports betting tastes, Argentinian gamblers who want access to the full list of global sporting events might prefer 888 Sport. And with bonuses such as Bet €10 To Get €30, you have great chances to get the wins you deserve.

The sheer number of betting lines 888 Sport provides is staggering, with a reported 70,000 sports bets per year. New depositors have over a dozen different payment methods, while payouts on withdrawal request are quick and reliable. Check out 888 Sport to place bets and win!

Argentina Deposits and Withdrawals

Argentina has one of the biggest selections of deposits and withdrawals you’ll find in online gambling. Almost any payment method you’ll want to use is available. While individual issuers might decline payments, Visa and MasterCard can be used for deposits and withdrawals. Bitcoin also is acceptable for both, with the added advantage of anonymity, safety, and speed.

Argentine Deposit Options You Can Use

Bitcoin: Bitcoin is the world famous virtual currency which uses blockchain technology to provide the safest, fastest way to make payments online.
PayPal: PayPal is an electronic payment method which allows payments from Argentine bettors to gaming sites. Because PayPal is owned by eBay, it is an e-payment method in 190 countries and regions. PayPal only supports deposits.
MasterCard: MasterCard is a deposit and withdrawal method at Argentine online sportsbooks. MasterCard supports credit cards, Maestro debit cards, and
MasterCard SecureCode payments.
Citadel: Citadel is a Canadian electronic check service which supports deposits to Argentine online sportsbooks. Citadel withdrawals are not supported.
Visa: Visa is a deposit and withdrawal method in Argentina. Visa credit cards, Visa Electron, Visa Prepaid, and Verified by Visa are payment methods at Argentine sportsbooks.
Entropay: Entropay is a prepaid card from Visa. Virtually anywhere on the Internet that Visa payments are accepted, Entropay is accepted.
EPS: The Erste Bank of Austria supports eps transactions, which are fast, simple, and secure. EPS cashouts are not accepted.
Neteller: Neteller is a UK-based web wallet which supports deposits and withdrawals from online sportsbooks.
Euteller: Euteller is an online instant bank transfer method headquartered in Finland. Euteller does not support withdrawals.
Skrill: Skrill is a virtual wallet which allows payments from a credit card or debit card. The London-based Skrill once was named Moneybookers. Skrill supports deposits and withdrawals.
Mpass: Mpass is a German mobile phone payment service owned and supported by O2, Telekom, and Vodafone. Mpass is deposit-only; cashouts are not accepted.
GiroPay: GiroPay is an online payment service available to those with a German bank account. GiroPay withdrawals are not supported.
Zimpler: Zimpler is a faster method of making smartphone payments, owned by Smart Payments Nordic AB of Stockholm, Sweden. Zimpler does not pay out winnings.
Sofort: Sofortuberweisung is a direct deposit method created by Sofort GmbH of Bayern, Germany and London, England. Sofort withdrawals are not accepted.
PaySafeCard: PaySafeCard is an e-voucher method with 100,000 kiosks across Europe. PaySafeCard is a UK payment service once called Ukash. Withdrawals are not supported.

Argentina Withdrawal Options You Can Use

Bitcoin: Bitcoin withdrawals are the fastest way online sports bettors can receive their winnings. Using blockchain technology, funds go from the bookmaker site to your bitcoin wallet within 10 minutes.
MasterCard: MasterCard credit and debit payments are a way to receive winnings from an Argentine online sportsbook.
Visa: Visa credit, Visa Electron, and Visa Debit support sportsbook withdrawals from sites which accept Argentinian bettors.
Neteller: The Neteller web wallet adds an additional level of privacy and security between an online sportsbook and your credit card or bank. Neteller payments take up to 24 hours, but require large cashouts.
Skrill: Skrill supports online sportsbook withdrawals. This payment method takes up to 12 hours, but supports large cashouts.
ACH: ACH stands for Automated Clearing House. ACH withdrawals are reliable and efficient batch-oriented electronic transfers. The ACH was created in the 1970s by the US Treasury and other US government agencies.
EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer or EFT is a national payment mechanism which moves winnings between accounts in a rapid way. These paperless transactions work well for online gambling payments.

Argentina Gambling History

Horse race betting goes back well in the 19th Century, while lotteries were popular even before that. The first legal lottery in Argentina happened in 1812, not long after Argentina gained its independence from Spain. In 1876, the Argentine Hippodrome was built. These days, it remains as a racetrack and casino. In 1893, “Law 2989” allowed the city of Buenos Aires special privileges, but a couple of years later, “Law 3313” resolved a dispute between the city and the national government and changed the game’s name to the National Charity Lottery. By 1900, the National Lottery was popular enough that the number of betting kiosks had increased from 120 to 520.

Casinos, which sometimes contained sportsbooks, have been popular since the 19th Century. The first casino in Mar del Plata, Hotel Bristol, was built in 1889. This was followed by the Casino Central and Gran Hotel in 1936, though the state gained greater control over casino gambling at the time. National Benefit Lottery tickets began begin sold in casinos and recreation centers in 1944. From 1955 to 1990, 23 different land-based casinos were built.

City Center Rosario is the biggest casino in South America. Trilenium Casino in Tigre, Casino Iguazu in Puerto Iguazu, Casino Flamingo in Merlo, and Rambla Casino in Mar Del Plata. The Hippodrome of Palermo and San Isidro Hippodrome are large racetracks in Argentina. While no national law governs online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites, Argentinians enjoy online gambling under a variety of state and local laws.

Argentina Gambling Regulators

States and cities regulates online gambling in Argentina. Various agencies have controlled the National Lottery since 1893, which meant they oversaw licensing and regulations. The list of regulators, along with their years of control, are: the city of Buenos Aires (1893-1895), the Ministry of the Interior (1896-1900), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship (1900-1944), again from the Ministry of the Interior (1944-1949), the Ministry of Finance (1950-1958), the Ministry of Economy (1958-1968), the Ministry of Economy and Labor (1968-1969), the Ministry of Social Welfare (1969-1999), and the National Lottery S.E. (1991-2016), and the Betting Games Institute of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (2016-present). In the early 1990s, the National Lottery S.E. was set up. This is the current organizer of the national lottery and the regulator of Argentina’s gambling industry.

In 1972, PRODE (Sports Forecasting) was established, which transformed sports betting in Argentina. PRODE made predictions about the matches organized by the Argentine Football Association (A.F.A.), but also on Brazilian football matches. A similar situation happened with La Quiniela, the betting pools, in 1973. In 1982, the 6-number “Immediate Resolution heel ticket” (scratch cards) were introduced, similar to the scratch-off games common in the United States, Belgium, and Sweden at the time.

A commission within the lottery was created in 1998 to oversee gambling, which works closely with the Financial Information Unit (FIU), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the GAFISUD. In 2016, the National Lottery S.E. and the Betting Games Institute of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires signed a deal that transferred oversight to the city of Buenos Aires, where it first was held.

WebsiteInformation
Loteria Nacional (LNSE)TThe National Lottery S.E. regulated most forms of gambling in Argentina from 1991 to 2016, while also organizing the national lottery drawings. In 2016, Loteria Nacional came to an arrangement with the Betting Games Institute of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
Betting Games InstituteThe Betting Games Institute of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires has a history of disputes going back to 1994 with the Loteria Nacional over who controls gambling regulation. Buenos Aires Mayor Anibal Ibarra and Argentine President Nestor Kirchner signed an agreement in 2003, but it expired again in 2015. The 2016 contract is an attempt by Buenos Aires to control the resources from gambling inside the city, but the regulatory framework remains muddled.

About the Author

Joseph Falchetti

Joseph Falchetti

Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert

Joe is the author of the majority of sports betting pages on SBS and he serves as a gambling consultant to our content team. He's been mentioned on Forbes.com as a gaming analyst, and his articles have been linked by larger publications, such as the New York Times.

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