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Delinquent child-support debtors in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) will no longer be able to deposit money, make withdrawals, place bets, or open and maintain internet gambling accounts on websites authorized by Lotería de la Ciudad (LOTBA).
The measure comes as part of a series of restrictions on those who fail to pay their child-support obligations, and was approved by the Buenos Aires Legislature. The rules encompass online games of chance, games of skill, and other types of internet games regulated by LOTBA.
The government stated that the provision is meant to reaffirm child and youth protection. It applies to people on the Public Registry of Delinquent Child-Support Debtors (RPAM).
Operators Must Check the Registry in Real Time
All gambling operators will be required to refer to the RPAM automatically and in real time prior to establishing a new user account, under the new system. This verification will also apply to existing accounts under the regulatory framework.
If someone is identified as a delinquent debtor and it is found that he/she has an active betting account, the account is to be immediately suspended by LOTBA, and LOTBA is to notify the registry and the judiciary in Buenos Aires. Violations of the verification requirements will result in graduated sanctions under the gambling rules, concession agreements and the city’s violations regime.
Buenos Aires Government Chief Jorge Macri said the restriction adds another consequence for individuals who fail to meet their parental obligations.
“In the city, child-support debtors cannot enter stadiums or attend mass events. Now, they also cannot place online bets. It is very simple: if you fail to meet an obligation as basic as providing for your children, there are consequences.”
LOTBA Links Measure to Responsible Gambling
The measure contains a new Article 17 bis in Law No. 269, which created the city’s registry of delinquent child-support debtors. Further provisions cover automated real-time consultation in the gambling register by gambling operators and requirements concerning personal data protection.
LOTBA President, Jesús Acevedo welcomed the law and emphasized the importance of this new regulation in the context of responsible gambling and child protection.
“We welcome the enactment of this law because it seeks to ensure that Responsible Gambling can also be a tool to protect the rights of children and adolescents.”
The regulated gambling system can also contribute to public policies that emphasize responsibility and minors’ protection, Acevedo added.
“For us, it is important that the regulated gambling system can support policies related to responsibility and the protection of minors. Anyone who has a child-support debt has an obligation that must be fulfilled, and it is not appropriate for that person to be able to allocate resources to betting.”
Registry Covers 13,500 Debtors
The Public Registry of Delinquent Child-Support Debtors presently lists some 13,500 people, of which some 8,000 are Buenos Aires residents and some 5,500 come from the 14 provinces with which the city has signed cooperation agreements.
The Ministry of Justice of the Province of Buenos Aires is responsible for the administration of the registry. The new gambling restriction will bring online betting restrictions in line with other restrictions that have been in place with registered debtors, such as restrictions on access to stadiums and mass events.
The implementation consequently imposes extra compliance obligations on the licensed gambling provider, who should incorporate a real-time registry check into the account registration and monitoring procedures and adhere to personal data protection regulations.
Source: SBC Noticias
