A project has been introduced to the provincial Legislature aimed at creating public policies to protect the population, especially adolescents.
Argentina.- Fuegian legislator, Matías Lapadula, presented a bill that seeks to implement in Tierra del Fuego a preventive campaign on the risks of online gambling. The issue No. 353/24, which was made parliamentary in the last session, states that "addiction, indebtedness, and mental health problems in young people due to online games are a present and real issue."
The proposal will be analyzed by the legislators of the Health Commission No. 5 and the General Legislation Commission No. 1. Among the reasons for the initiative, it is stated that the "growth experienced in the universe of online betting, especially in the sectors most vulnerable to the risks associated with gambling such as the adolescent population."
The proposal, which contains 15 articles, seeks to generate public policies as a management tool that promotes the well-being of the inhabitants of the Province. Additionally, it aims to spread "awareness, education, and prevention of the risks associated with online betting, protecting their well-being, mental health, and quality of life in the digital and technological environment," especially among young people and adolescents from Tierra del Fuego.
In this regard, article 2° of the norm mentions the content of preventive elements in awareness campaigns such as: "Pedagogical activities in educational establishments of all levels aimed at providing content to recognize the issue; dissemination of material that highlights the dangers and negative consequences of online gambling (chance); teacher training in the context of comprehensive education content on Addictions and problematic consumption", among other approaches.
This measure aligns with the efforts already existing in the province to raise awareness about gambling, which were launched by the municipalities that make up Tierra del Fuego. In this sense, both Ushuaia and Río Grande, the two largest cities in the province, launched proposals this year for this purpose.
In Ushuaia, a project was launched to create the Program for Prevention, Dissemination, and Awareness of Online Betting in Adolescents and Young People. The councilwoman who promoted it, Laura Ávila, stated that the project "will allow the municipality to block online betting sites on all internet WiFi networks of municipal public establishments and public spaces that have WiFi networks managed by the municipality."
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The project seeks to provide tools to raise awareness about the issue. "According to the different sources we consulted, this problem mainly affects adolescents between 12 and 16 years old; therefore, our goal is to provide families in Ushuaia and the municipal executive with concrete tools to prevent and raise awareness about online gambling," said the author.
In Río Grande, meanwhile, a program to address the issue has not yet been defined, but the mayor, Martín Perez, emphasized that concrete actions must be considered along with the local City Council to combat adolescent gambling. According to him, programs that the Municipality can carry out should be considered, and from the legislative sphere, that "allow working on the prevention of an issue that is becoming increasingly present."
