The initiative carries the slogan "Betting is not a game" and focuses on joint work with young people and sports institutions.
Argentina.- The Sports Commission of the Chamber of Deputies of Entre Ríos discussed a project by provincial deputy Stefanía Cora, aimed at raising awareness about the risks of online betting. The initiative carries the slogan "Betting is not a game" and focuses on coordinated work with young people and sports institutions.
"This project is the result of joint work with young people from Entre Ríos who have expressed their concern about the increase in online betting in their environment," said the legislator. "It is essential that the state supports sports institutions in the prevention and awareness of the risks of gambling addiction, providing tools and supporting the kids," she added.
The project is based on data about the growth of gambling addiction. The deputy presented data from a survey conducted with her team in workshops, which revealed that 87 percent believe that online betting is a significant problem for young people, and that the most affected age group is between 14 and 24 years old.
The text establishes the creation of an awareness campaign aimed at sports entities in the province. The implementing authority will be the Sports Secretariat, which must ensure the participation of specialized institutions, civil society, and its organizations.
Cora highlighted the importance of the territorial work carried out to develop the project. "We were in sports institutions, exchanged with their leaders, parents, and especially with the kids who confirmed the growing concern of the problem. We want them to know that they are not alone and that they have the tools at hand to recognize when it has become an addiction. Along the way, we built data and systematized it through surveys and interviews to better understand the problem and design an effective intervention strategy," she explained.
In addition to Deputy Cora's project, there are three other parliamentary proposals to create a suitable legal framework in the province.
Another initiative presented by Deputy Carolina Streitenberger, includes the "prevention and comprehensive approach to online gambling addiction."
The text targets online gaming and sports betting modalities, but also mentions "loot boxes" in video games. In this regard, it establishes measures to promote "responsible advertising", "control and security measures" in online gaming platforms, and a "registry of people with gambling addiction" (sic).
See also: The gaming industry in Entre Ríos: IAFAS projects profits of USD2.7m for 2024
The project introduced by Deputy Carlos Damasco establishes the creation of a Provincial Registry of Bettors, to ensure that users of online gaming platforms are of legal age. According to the measure, the registry "will operate under the orbit of IAFAS, who will be in charge of its creation, regulation, implementation, and updating." Additionally, it points out that the provincial state should use the tools at its disposal, such as the network of lottery agencies.
Meanwhile, the initiative, presented by provincial senator Juan Pablo Cosso, aims to implement in the province a preventive campaign aimed at children and adolescents, about the risks of online betting.
