Police dismantle illegal online betting network targeting schoolchildren in Buenos Aires

An organization dedicated to promoting illegal online betting targeting adolescents was found in Buenos Aires City. 

As reported by Infobae, a leading newspaper from Argentina, the local Police, along with personnel from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, dismantled the organization. It recruited teenagers through WhatsApp, particularly those in primary and secondary schools.

The investigation started from a police report made by a mother of one of the students earlier this year, which detected unusual movements in his son’s virtual wallet. The investigation was handed over to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Gambling, headed by Juan Rozas.

The complaint led to an investigation that uncovered the operations of an organization functioning entirely outside the legal framework, and it was found that they were recruiting users to place illegal sports bets, which led to minors accessing illegal platforms during school time, looking to gamble on sports events. 

Sources close to the case told Infobae: “It is suspected that there may be at least 50 victims. According to the statements of the minor, whose mother reported the case, students from all grades at the school were involved.”

Good to know: The prosecutor, Juan Rozas, has been involved in multiple cases of illegal gambling. One of the most resonant ones was the case of Cinthia Fernández

Subsequently, a series of raids were carried out in the City of Buenos Aires and the Buenos Aires district of Vicente López. In addition, personnel from the Public Prosecutor’s Office conducted a similar operation in Chacabuco due to a similar suspicion. 

During these operations, electronic devices, relevant documents and digital storage media were seized. Furthermore, three suspects were located, identified and are now formally charged, linked to the ongoing judicial process, as they are considered “operators of a betting recruitment system.”

They violated Article 301 of the Penal Code, which penalizes the unauthorized operation of gambling activities.

Carlos Mendez

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Odds tell a story long before the result does. When bettors learn to read that story properly, betting becomes a matter of discipline and value rather than emotion or guesswork.

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