Argentinian influencer arrested for allegedly recruiting minors into illegal betting network
Matías Garcilazo is a social media influencer and Airport Security Police officer.
Authorities dismantled an illegal online betting network that recruited minors in the southern Buenos Aires region.
The Argentinian Federal Police arrested Matías Gabriel Garcilazo, accused of leading a criminal organization dedicated to illegal gambling promoted through Instagram posts and YouTube streaming for live betting.
Garcilazo worked for the Airport Security Police and operated as a gambling influencer with over 86,000 Instagram followers. On social media, he displayed Rolex watches, Ferrari cars, and high-end motorcycles, portraying wealth obtained through gambling.
He was arrested at a mansion in a Pilar gated community alongside his partner, Paula Villafañe, a former daycare worker and social welfare beneficiary accused of being his main accomplice.
Villafañe, who has nearly 69,000 followers, promoted betting lines through Telegram and WhatsApp.
Prosecutor Daniel Ernesto Ichazo from UFI N°8 in Berazategui led the investigation into child gambling addiction and illegal online betting after receiving an anonymous tip about a 13-year-old participating in social media-promoted betting without supervision.
Following over a year of cyber investigation, authorities identified the organization operating under the name Sportsbet, which used social media to recruit players, including minors.
The network operated with defined roles, including cashiers who resold betting chips to anyone who contacted them, including minors, through WhatsApp or Telegram transfers.
The investigation also reached Nicolás Silva, identified as the owner of the Nicobet network and Sportsbet representative in Argentina. During operations, nine people connected to the organization were arrested, and over 60 charges were filed.
In addition, a survey conducted among 2,933 students in Berazategui, Quilmes and Florencio Varela revealed that 15% of the minors admitted to gambling online, over 80% did so after seeing social media advertisements or influencer promotions, and 42% of young gamblers said potential addiction risk was indifferent to them. Additionally, 40% reported their parents exercised no control over phone content.
Authorities await computer forensics results to advance the case, which could lead to additional arrests and expanded charges for recruitment and economic exploitation of minors in digital environments.
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