LOTBA presents Polymarket case at international gambling regulators’ conference

LOTBA presented its investigation into Polymarket at the annual conference of the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR), held in Lima from 19 to 22 October. According to LOTBA, the investigation ended with the platform being blocked. The Buenos Aires city lottery regulator's president, Jesús Acevedo, set out the case during a panel on prediction markets, event contracts and regulatory arbitrage.

Acevedo described LOTBA's work to detect and monitor such platforms. The regulator said services operating outside applicable rules lack the safeguards required of authorised operators, particularly when checking users' identity and age. The panel also covered consumer protection, sports integrity, responsible advertising, conflicts between jurisdictions and strategies used to avoid regulatory frameworks.

Acevedo said: "Nuestra responsabilidad como reguladores es entender esos cambios y asegurarnos de que la innovación no deje atrás la protección de las personas". The panel was moderated by Tomás Botta, a partner at MF Estudio, and included Paul Brodeur, commissioner of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission; Joe Webster, a partner at Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker; and Marc Ellinger, a partner at Ellinger-Bell Law.

LOTBA's agenda in Lima included meetings with representatives of the UK Gambling Commission, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) and other international bodies. According to LOTBA, a GLI seminar also highlighted Buenos Aires' work on responsible gambling. LOTBA also welcomed the appointment of Brian Krolicki as IAGR president and the addition of Ida López, president of the Argentine state lotteries association ALEA, to its board.