Argentina’s Malargüe Blocks Online Gambling, Crypto Casinos

The Argentine city of Malargüe has passed a directive for blocking access to online gambling websites through all public Wi-Fi networks. This decision has been implemented to check on the growing risks of digital gambling addiction.

Argentina’s City Cracks Down on Crypto Casinos and Gambling

The crackdown was approved by local councilors Magalí Acosta, Emilce Mansilla, and Rodrigo Hidalgo. This decision marks one of the region’s most proactive steps against the digital gambling surge, especially among youngsters.

Malargüe, a city in the Mendoza region, is the latest city to face the impact of mobile gaming. The ban would apply to online gambling devices found on public Wifi networks and also sexually explicit materials and anything linked to child exploitation, too. 

This multi-fold censorship effort is decided upon for creating safer digital environments, especially in public spaces like schools, libraries, and community centers.

The directive echoes wider concerns around the availability and allure of online gambling to younger audiences. Councilors said that the growth of smartphone wagering was ” off the charts, “as many customers are minors who are allowed to play on gambling websites without being checked. The city is responding with a new municipal program aimed at prevention and early intervention. Offering educational programs for students and families alike, the program will also provide mental health support and develop school- and clinic-based partnerships. The preamble to the ordinance states that the government is obligated to protect its citizens by encouraging digital literacy, financial awareness and safe technology use.

Officials have acknowledged gambling’s historical and cultural role, saying that today’s digital platforms have unprecedented risks requiring modern solutions.

This gambling news from Malargüe comes just months after a similar ban in Mar del Plata. Lawmakers of Mar del Plata voted unanimously to restrict online gambling via municipal internet services. The trend is just a fraction of real efforts in Argentina to insulate vulnerable populations from the addictive allure of online betting.

Yet, Malargüe’s ordinance also lands at a time when global regulators are grappling with a much larger, and murkier, digital gambling frontier: crypto casinos.

The international gambling industry has become increasingly complex, and this is largely due to the explosive growth of crypto casino platforms. A recent report by analytics firm Yield Sec revealed that of the estimated $90.1 billion generated by the US online gambling industry in 2024, approximately $67.1 billion (nearly 74%), came from illegal operations, many of which operate via crypto.

These platforms, often registered in offshore jurisdictions like Curaçao or Malta, allow anonymous transactions that circumvent national laws.

“Everyone assumes once you legalize gambling, crime stops,” said Ismail Vali, founder of Yield Sec. “But that’s not how crime works.” Vali’s firm uses tech that was first meant for counter-terrorism efforts to track illegal gambling trends. Their system analyzes user behavior across websites, search engines, and social media, to estimate revenue. Their findings show a vast digital underworld, with sites still targeting American users.

Some of these crypto casinos have grown into multi-billion-dollar operations. These sites often function without proper consumer protections, pushing dangerous betting products such as death pools, war wagers, and unregulated sports betting.

The adaptability of crypto casinos became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, regulatory bodies are now beginning to respond. The UK Gambling Commission has issued over 280 cease-and-desist letters to crypto gambling sites since April 2024. In the US, legal cases are surging against offshore operators that exploit regulatory loopholes.