GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 49 - April 2021

ditional betting regulations. It seems to be determined to use every one of those four years. There has been a series of extra consul- tations and delays since 2018. A licensing process was expected in June 2020, but that did not materialize. The market opening has been delayed until 2021, with further delays possible. With a population of more than 200million people and an interest in sports, Brazil is an attractive opportunity , especially as the gambling sector has generally been restricted up until this point. Several other Argentine states have also approved bills for iGaming in 2020, including Mendo- za State and Sante Fe. As many as sev- en other states are considering iGaming regulation in 2021. In Buenos Aires City, the City Lottery (LOT- BA) was expected to grant licenses in early 2021, with the market going live shortly after. Online operators will be issued five- year concessions by LOTBA. Services that will be allowed online are casino games such as poker, baccarat, blackjack and sports betting. Chile Not to be outdone by Brazil and Argentina, the start of 2021 saw Chile’s Ministry of Finance announce that it too will seek to regulate in- ternet gambling. A draft bill was close to being pub- lished in Q1 2021, which will propose the regulation on sports betting and casino games. The state of Karnataka in India provides a case study. In June 2020, the K a r n a t a k a government decided to al- low the Banga- lore Turf Club to launch online betting on its races to help offset lost revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The website launched in November 2020. Just a month later, the website had to stop accepting wagers because the government withdrew its approval. The withdrawal was apparently caused by a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in November 2020 by a local resident. The PIL argued that the government had not established any regulatory framework for internet betting before authorizing the BTC website. But it could all be worth the wait for those interested in Brazil’s betting market. The government has opted for a concession model and plans to award 30 licenses. With a population of more than 200 million people and an interest in sports, Brazil is an attractive opportunity, especially as the gambling sector has generally been restricted up until this point. Argentina In Argentina, the regulation of internet gambling is being handled by each individual state. Such an approach can result in a fragmented iGaming sector, with a patchwork of regulations and taxes, and one which does not make the most of the market’s potential. This might be miti- gated to some extent in Argentina because almost 50% of the population live in Buenos Aires province or Buenos Aires City, although each is developing its own iGaming licensing regime. The process of awarding licenses in Buenos Aires Province was postponed until after the 2019 general elections. The political changes caused by that election threw the process into doubt. But, eventually, on the last day of 2020, seven companies were awarded licenses, all of whom included familiar partners, such as 888 Holdings, bet365 and William Hill. 25 G P W A t i m e s . o r g