During an informative plenary meeting involving the Health, General Legislation, and Justice and Criminal Affairs Committees, specialists, representatives from technology companies, labour organizations and those negatively affected by gambling, shared their testimonies about the increasing prevalence of online gambling.
The meeting was composed of committees chaired by Senators Lucía Corpacci, Bartolomé Abdala and Juan Carlos Pagotto. Its purpose was to continue the discussion on 28 bills, one of which has received partial approval from the Chamber of Deputies, focused on the prevention of gambling addiction and the regulation of games of chance and online betting.
Present at the meeting amongst others were Natalia Díaz, Director of Public Affairs at the Argentine Fintech Chamber; Santiago Eraso Lomáquiz, Senior Legal, Compliance, and Public Affairs Director at MODO, a digital wallet and payment app developed in Argentina; María Cecilia García, a psychiatrist and educator; Guillermo Caín, Deputy Secretary of the Argentine Federation of Casino Employees; and Manuel Jiménez, General Secretary of the San Juan Casino Union and the Federation’s Union Secretary.
The speakers agreed that given the magnitude of the problem, an integrated approach is necessary, combining prevention, education, and control measures, particularly regarding illegal platforms operating covertly through the national payment system.
In this regard, the representative from MODO noted, “On the virtual wallet side, we have no technical means to identify the merchant charging,” and emphasized the importance of including in the bill the identification of “the hands that collect rather than those that pay, to avoid this.”
Additionally, the importance of a coordinated response among the state, companies, sports institutions, families, and civil society was highlighted, including educational campaigns, restrictions on promotion in sports, and support mechanisms for affected individuals.
From the medical perspective, Dr. García emphasized the need for active policies, particularly aimed at at-risk groups, due to “the current relevance of social media and the immediate satisfaction derived from its use, especially in developing subjectivities, particularly among adolescents.”
From the labour sector, representatives emphasized the need for a law regulating online gambling, asserting that it should be the state’s responsibility to implement it, and clarified that this measure would not harm corporate profits.
The bill with partial approval from the Chamber of Deputies seeks to restrict advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of online gambling as much as possible, especially that which targets adolescents and young people. However if the project does not progress before December, it will lose parliamentary status and will have to be discussed from the beginning.
The remaining projects, presented by various senators, propose the creation of national programs, plans, and campaigns aimed at the comprehensive and interdisciplinary prevention and addressing of virtual gambling addiction among children and adolescents.
Earlier this month the Argentine Football Association (AFA) warned in the Senate that a total ban on advertising and sponsorship of betting would cause significant financial harm to clubs. Appearing before the plenary session of the Senate’s Health, General Legislation, and Justice Committees during the debate on proposed laws to regulate online betting the AFA warned about the risks of a total ban on advertising and sponsorship from companies in the sector.
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During an informative plenary meeting involving the Health, General Legislation, and Justice and Criminal Affairs Committees, specialists, representatives from technology companies, labour organizations and those negatively affected by gambling, shared their testimonies about the increasing prevalence of online gambling. The meeting was composed of committees chaired by Senators Lucía Corpacci, Bartolomé Abdala and Juan Carlos…
The post Argentine Senate discusses national policy to combat gambling related harm appeared first on G3 Newswire.