Zona de Azar Argentina – Childhood Gambling: “We took a Crucial Step on issues that Concern Parents and Educators”

Buenos Aires.- July 3, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The Government of the City of Buenos Aires presented the Addiction Prevention Network in Clubs, a program aimed at 20 sports institutions to prevent and educate children and adolescents about consumption problem of online gaming and betting through workshops and collaboration between managers and support teams. The announcement was made at the River Plate club.

“We took a crucial step to address one of the issues that worries parents and educators most: childhood gambling. We implement measures focused on control and limitation,” declared the Head of Government, Jorge Macri, during the launch. Present were the Minister of Human Development and Habitat, Gabriel Mraida; the Secretary of Sports, Fabián Turnes; and the president of the City Lottery, Jesús Acevedo.

Among the measures adopted by the Government to combat online child gambling are the suspension of new licenses for betting operators and the cancellation of agreements with potential operators. Educational, health and legislative initiatives are also being developed.

Macri explained that gambling addiction is silent and complex, and highlighted the importance of recognizing it as a serious problem. The Club Addiction Prevention Network includes a management and diagnosis phase, with meetings to outline actions, and another development phase, with training and talks for adolescents.

Workshops will be offered on emotion management, psychosocial skills, prevention and early detection of problematic consumption, and use of free time and play. The initiative seeks to get coaches and teams to actively participate in the detection and prevention of addictions, especially related to technology. An agreement was signed with the clubs and three organizations: House of Culture, Hogar de Cristo and Deporte Solidario.

Macri emphasized that children have access to the casino on their cell phones due to advertising, and stressed the importance of talking about the problem and seeking help. He concluded by mentioning that this issue is linked to advertising, economics and the role of legal gambling in promoting and supporting sport worldwide.

He edited: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com