Statements from Pope Francis expressing his concern about the advancement of online gambling were known. Additionally, the Argentine Catholic Church sent a letter to the president of the Chamber of Deputies regarding the project that is advancing in the chamber.
Argentina.- Although it is not the first time that the Church has targeted the gambling industry, this week saw the addition of statements from Pope Francis concerning the issue of online betting among youth. On the other hand, the Argentine Catholic Church sent a public letter to the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, in which it calls for urgent handling of the law on the prevention of gambling addiction.
This week, the Vatican published "Hope Never Disappoints", the new book by Pope Francis, where the Supreme Pontiff sends a clear warning message about the increase in cases of gambling addiction, especially among the youth.
The book, written together with Argentine journalist Hernán Reyes Alcaide, addresses current issues such as the evolution of Artificial Intelligence and technological advances, as well as social situations, like migration and the economic crisis.
In the context of the book's launch, some excerpts were revealed in which the Pope highlights the proliferation of technological resources that can be used for online gambling, leading to the danger of gambling addiction.
“The massification of smartphones has turned each of our young people's cell phones into a mobile casino, opening doors to a multitude of increasingly broad betting options readily available, which numb the sense of responsibility,” emphasizes Francis in an excerpt from the book that will be published in ten languages.
And he adds: “Our governments cannot be accomplices to an instigation to gambling addiction that causes serious damage to the emotional and financial health of our youth. These gambling tools even have endorsements to sponsor teams across a wide range of sports, creating a familiarity with betting that is incompatible with the values of the common good, sports, and a healthy and fraternal society.”
On the local front, the Argentine Catholic Church sent a public letter to the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, in which it demands urgent treatment of the law on the prevention of gambling addiction. For this, it requested that it be included in the agenda of an already scheduled session or, alternatively, that a special session be convened to advance its debate in the chamber.
It is worth remembering that the project received a favorable opinion on Wednesday, November 13, in the plenary of five committees. In this context, the Church's message states: “We consider it urgent that this opinion receives prompt treatment in the chamber. As has been pointed out by both legislators from various political blocks and representatives of civil society organizations who participated in the informational meetings, we are facing a problem that demands an immediate response”.
“In July, from the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral Care, we issued a document that gathers the voices of more than 50 social pastoral teams from across the national territory, who expressed their deep concern about this reality affecting our communities, neighborhoods, and educational centers. We reiterate again this concern and the urgency to work on effective solutions,” they recalled in the letter.
