Argentina has no national gambling regulator, so the help you can get depends on the province. In the City of Buenos Aires, Lotería de la Ciudad runs a free orientation line on 0800-666-6006 and a self-exclusion register with an initial term of two years covering the games it authorises. In Buenos Aires Province the line is 0800-444-4000, self-exclusion also runs for two years, and the Programa de Prevención y Asistencia al Juego Compulsivo provides free public treatment through mental-health centres and hospitals across 135 municipalities.
| Helpline (City of Buenos Aires) | 0800-666-6006 — Lotería de la Ciudad, Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00, free |
|---|---|
| Helpline (Buenos Aires Province) | 0800-444-4000 — Programa de Juego Compulsivo, free |
| Self-exclusion (City) | Lotería de la Ciudad register, initial term 2 years, online or in person |
| Self-exclusion (Province) | Voluntary, 2 years, two forms handed in at any gaming venue |
| Family can apply | Yes in the City — spouse, partner, parents or children to the second degree |
| Free treatment | Yes — provincial mental-health network, CPA centres and public hospitals |
| Regulator | None national; LOTBA in the City, IPLyC in the Province, others by province |
| Legal gambling age | 18 |
Verified helplines
| Service | Phone / chat | Hours | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Línea de orientación al jugador problemático — Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos AiresOfficial government line (Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires / juegosegurolegal.gob.ar); site also runs the ReVA self-exclusion registry. | 0800-666-6006 | Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00; free psychological orientationSpanish | juegosegurolegal.gob.ar/?page=linea-orientacion |
Helplines and online chat
There is no single national gambling helpline in Argentina. Two provincial lines carry most of the load, both free:
- 0800-666-6006 — the orientation line for problem gambling run by Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Monday to Friday 9:00–17:00, giving free psychological orientation.
- 0800-444-4000 — the line of the Programa de Prevención y Asistencia al Juego Compulsivo in Buenos Aires Province.
The Province also runs a mental-health network line on 0800-222-5462, which is broader than gambling but staffed for crisis calls.
In an emergency call 911, or 107 for SAME medical emergencies. If you are outside these two jurisdictions, check the helplines directory for other options.
Self-exclusion
Argentina has no country-wide register. Each jurisdiction keeps its own, and registering in one does not close accounts licensed in another.
City of Buenos Aires
Lotería de la Ciudad operates a self-exclusion register covering the betting games it authorises, with an initial term of two years. You can apply online through juegosegurolegal.gob.ar, or in person at Lotería de la Ciudad (Carlos Pellegrini 657, 10:00–15:30), Casino Buenos Aires or the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo.
Unusually, a relative can start the process for someone else: a spouse, cohabiting partner, or a parent, child, grandparent or grandchild of a person with pathological gambling can request their inclusion in the Registro Voluntario de Autoexclusión.
Buenos Aires Province
Self-exclusion there is also voluntary and lasts two years. It is done on paper: download and complete two forms, the Solicitud de Autoexclusión and the Formulario de Consentimiento, and hand them in at any gaming establishment.
Neither register reaches sites licensed elsewhere or operating without a licence. Compare with other countries in self-exclusion by country.
Blocking gambling payments and sites
As of September 2026 no Argentine bank or wallet publishes a gambling-transaction block that a customer can switch on.
What you can check is whether a site is licensed at all. In the City of Buenos Aires, authorised betting sites use .bet.ar domains — anything else is unlicensed there, regardless of how established it looks. Licensed platforms have to provide betting limits and self-control tools inside the account.
Because provincial registers only cover provincially licensed operators, device-level blocking does the work the registers cannot: see blocking apps for iOS and Android.
Free treatment and counselling
Buenos Aires Province has the most developed public route. Its Programa de Prevención y Asistencia al Juego Compulsivo, created in 2005 by agreement between the provincial lottery institute and the provincial health ministry, is a free public care network for prevention, containment and treatment, covering both the person gambling and the family.
Access is through ten provincial centres with dedicated coordinators, and through the mental-health network operating across the province's 135 municipalities — in practice, a CPA community centre, a provincial hospital or a local health centre. Care is free at the point of use.
In the City of Buenos Aires, the 0800-666-6006 line provides free psychological orientation and is the entry point to referral.
Support for family and friends
Argentina gives relatives a legal tool that most countries do not. In the City of Buenos Aires, a spouse, cohabiting partner, parent, child, grandparent or grandchild can ask for a person with pathological gambling to be entered in the Registro Voluntario de Autoexclusión. Lotería de la Ciudad also invites relatives to contact it directly for orientation.
In Buenos Aires Province, the free programme explicitly covers families, and the 0800-444-4000 line takes calls from relatives, not only from the person who gambles.
Before making that call, it helps to be clear about what you have seen and what you want to change: how to help someone with a gambling addiction and what to do about gambling debt.
Gambling law and the regulator
Gambling in Argentina is regulated by provinces and by the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, not by a national body. The two largest regulators are Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA) in the City and the Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos (IPLyC) in Buenos Aires Province, with separate authorities in other provinces.
Online betting is legal where a jurisdiction has licensed it. In the City, betting games are for over-18s only and licensed sites carry .bet.ar domains; licensed operators must offer self-control tools, betting limits and self-exclusion, publish clear game rules and protect personal data.
The practical consequence for someone trying to stop: a block obtained in one province is not portable. If you have accounts licensed in several provinces, you have to deal with each register separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling legal in Argentina?
It depends on the province. There is no national licence. In the City of Buenos Aires, Lotería de la Ciudad licenses online betting and authorised sites use .bet.ar domains; Buenos Aires Province licenses its own operators through IPLyC. A site licensed in one province is not automatically legal in another.
How do I self-exclude from gambling in Argentina?
In the City of Buenos Aires, apply online at juegosegurolegal.gob.ar or in person at Lotería de la Ciudad, Casino Buenos Aires or the Hipódromo de Palermo; the initial term is two years. In Buenos Aires Province, complete the Solicitud de Autoexclusión and the consent form and hand them in at any gaming venue, also for two years.
Can I make a family member self-exclude?
In the City of Buenos Aires, yes. A spouse or cohabiting partner, or a parent, child, grandparent or grandchild, can request that a person with pathological gambling be entered in the Registro Voluntario de Autoexclusión. Contact Lotería de la Ciudad or call 0800-666-6006.
Is gambling treatment free in Argentina?
In Buenos Aires Province it is. The Programa de Prevención y Asistencia al Juego Compulsivo is a free public network, reached through ten provincial centres or through CPA centres and public hospitals in the province's 135 municipalities. Other provinces vary; start with the free orientation lines.
Sources
- Juego Seguro y Legal — Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (autoexclusión)
- Línea de orientación al jugador problemático — Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
- Estándar de Juego Responsable — Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
- Juego compulsivo — Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos, Provincia de Buenos Aires
- Registro Voluntario de Autoexclusión — Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
- Lotería de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires