Tomas Enrique Garcia Botta exclusive: Black market operators will drive traffic ‘any way they can’

As regulation battles continue to take over headlines in countries such as Argentina, Botta shares insight from the perspective of lawmakers, consumers and operators.

During the SBC Summit event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Gaming America sat down with MF Estudio – Abogados Attorney Partner Tomas Enrique Garcia Botta to discuss LatAm regulation battles seen over the course of 2025, specifically in Argentina.

Botta helped explain the role of influencers in promoting online casinos, how these celebrities have faced legal issues with black market sites and legislation currently being discussed to possibly ban online gambling advertisements.

And why would a black market site have interest in obtaining influencer promotion if it may result in higher attention towards its operation?

They want traffic. They will bring traffic any way they can and in any way they see suitable. This is also when enforcement comes into place, because the vision from a black market operator currently is there are no consequences.

By becoming partners of the black market operators you could very well say they are offering gaming without an approval. Criminal actions were filed against top influencers, subpoenas were issued and now they are being subject to criminal proceedings. We don’t know the outcome yet, but this has had a beneficial impact on the social media platforms because you start to see less activity related to the black market.

Could you also speak on legislation currently being discussed in Argentina in regards to prohibiting online gambling advertisements?

Yes, there are a number of bills that were mainly motivated by underage gambling. The politicians believe resolving this issue is by limiting advertising and attacking the regulated sector, which is an incorrect approach in my view. Minors playing is a symptom, but it’s not the disease. The disease is poor generalization and lack of enforcement, and this is where we stand right now.

A massive challenge to the industry is working together to try to educate the audience on what are the issues, what are the stakes involved and what are the risks. Instead of a bill to fight the black market, it’s a bill to promote the black market that is currently being drafted. It’s a Trojan horse.

The full-length interview with Botta will be featured in the July/August edition of Gaming America magazine – set to become available in late June.

Kirk Geller

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