In the lead-up to Responsible Gaming Day, which is commemorated on February 17th, the Argentine company has prepared a guide to help gamblers identify pathological behaviors.
Argentina.- Every February 17th is globally commemorated as International Responsible Gaming Day. The date was established in 2008 by the European Betting and Gaming Association and instituted by UNESCO. In Argentina, the National Law 26.305 is in effect, which approved the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted by UNESCO in France, which promotes the generation of actions aimed at the prevention and assistance of problematic, pathological, or compulsive gambling. In this context, bplay shared a guide to detect problematic behaviors.
According to a report by the Association of Argentine State Lotteries (ALEA), there are four types of gamblers. The social gambler plays for pleasure, does not risk their economy, and can quit gambling whenever they wish. For this gambler, gambling is a healthy recreational activity that does not generate any problems.
The Association also distinguishes the professional gambler who does not establish an emotional connection with gambling but only seeks to make money. Their bets are based on probabilistic studies and they have no compulsion towards gambling.
These two types of gamblers can enjoy the activity and do not represent a problem. However, ALEA points out two other categories that do require attention. The problem gambler begins to have negative consequences that affect their finances, work, social, and family relationships. They bet amounts of money beyond their means and have less control over their gambling behavior than the social gambler.
If this person does not seek professional help, they can become a pathological gambler, the last category described by ALEA. This type of gambler already suffers from a disorder and persists in their compulsive behavior despite the negative consequences that their addiction to gambling entails.
In this scenario, Guillermo Gabella, former president of A.L.A.J.A (Latin American Association of Gambling Games) and Director of Public Affairs at Boldt, owner of bplay, highlights the importance of betting on legal sites that are regulated by provincial states and the city of Buenos Aires: "It is a matter of concern for us, which is why it is so important to combat illegal gambling. Within the law, sites that have a .bet.ar domain provide a lot of support to gamblers. We need to continue raising awareness that gambling should be entertainment, it should not become a pathology."
Indeed, on legal sites, tools are offered to measure the control of expenses and time of each player and, in case of alarm, the account can be temporarily suspended if the user or their environment considers that the way of betting has become dangerous. Ultimately, the gambler can use the self-exclusion option and block access to betting.
"These types of tools are essential to protect our customers and keep gambling within the realm of entertainment. Additionally, we have a strict user registration policy to ensure that no minors can use our platform," added Gabella.
To raise awareness among the population and collaborate in the early detection of pathological behaviors, Boldt has developed a guide so that gamblers can be alert to the situation.
The self-assessment consists of the following questions:
