As a society, we have to eradicate the culture of gambling and replace it with the culture of work and effort.
Online gambling in Argentina could move more than 2,400 million dollars a year. Some say that the figure could be higher. Most of this money is tax free. And, beyond the tax issue, gambling should be addressed as what it is, an integral public health problem for any country. We know the consequences for people in financial difficulty of believing that their financial problems are magically solved with the click of a button.
Spain, Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom, after a few years of operating online gambling, are modifying and tightening restrictions on the advertising of online gambling. They consider these measures to be fundamental tools in the fight against pathological gambling, the main victims of which are young people.
The Spanish Federation of Rehabilitated Gamblers warned that the average age of gambling addiction has changed from 35-45 years old to 21-26 years old. They also noted an alarming growth of gamblers, in line with the bombardment of advertising. In 2012 there were 29,534 Spaniards registered to gamble, a figure that increased to 72,696 in 2023. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs warned that the average annual expenditure per person on gambling has tripled in the last 5 years.
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What did Spain do to protect people? They took measures to curb the increase in the number of young gambling and online gambling fans. Among other restrictions, limits were set on gambling advertising on radio and television where it is only allowed from 1am to 5am. On the other hand, gambling houses were prohibited from sponsoring sports teams or competitions. When the law was passed, they considered that soccer and the rest of the competitions would be healthier, cleaner and more in line with the values of the sport. They wanted the sport not to be contaminated.
What happened before the law came into force? Out of 20 clubs, 19 had sponsorship from online betting operators. The only club that had not accepted sponsorship from gambling houses was Real Sociedad. It submitted this decision to its members. Eighty-six percent were against the measure.
In Spain, soccer is the sport with the largest number of followers. And, consequently, the most popular sport among Spaniards when it comes to betting. In a La Liga match, more than 30 different types of bets can be found, or even more than 60 in certain matches. From the typical bet on what the result will be and who will score the first goal, to who will take the kick-off, who will take the first corner, with which leg and in which minute of the game.
Imagine what can happen in Argentine soccer, full of business, threats and corruption. The passion generated by soccer could be contaminated with a business that benefits a few and harms many. For years, the world has been talking about match-fixing.
My concern is the direct link generated between the advertising of bookmakers, clubs and vulnerable sectors. I believe that, indirectly, it is a way to encourage gambling. This is the normalization of sports betting and the link between sport and betting.
At the end of 2021, I sent a letter to the presidents of the First Division clubs of the City of Buenos Aires, inviting them to assume a social commitment, avoiding the advertising of online gambling. I know that there are many soccer leaders with great social sensitivity, who are concerned about poverty and destitution. It is necessary to take into account the damage that gambling produces in vulnerable sectors, where there is a temptation to earn quick and easy money.
My letter has not yet been answered and at least seven clubs that make up the professional soccer league are sponsored by bookmakers. The clubs: Boca, Racing (Betsson), River (Codere), Velez (Bplay), Estudiantes de La Plata (Bplay), Newell’s Old Boys and Rosario Central (City Center). In turn, BetWarrior has been the sponsor of the Argentine national team since May 2022 and has a contract until 2026.
How can betting be controlled? By controlling the money available to do so. That is why I presented a project to prohibit the use of credit cards as a means of payment for gambling. I believe that the damages that a person can suffer when using money he/she does not have should be minimized. Getting into debt for gambling is dangerous, we know the pain that is produced in families when gambling invades their lives. We have to take measures, strengthen the existing public policy on prevention and raise awareness about pathological gambling.
The world is going in this direction: the United Kingdom restricted credit cards as a means of payment when gambling. They considered that gambling with cards can trigger significant financial damage. They stated that the ban is intended to minimize the risk of harm to consumers from gambling with money they do not have. In Spain, consumer associations called for similar measures to avoid indebtedness.
As a society we must do everything in our power to protect vulnerable sectors, we have to commit ourselves to change the culture of easy and fast money, for the culture of effort, sacrifice and work.
In the year 2021, the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, in a meeting with the President of the Nation, warned that it is delicate to promote gambling as a lucrative structure, either by the State or privatized companies. They assured that online gambling favors people with gambling addiction to have easier access, exposing them to what is bad for them. And that the social and economic situation demands that the poorest sectors have public policies that promote the integral development of young people and the family, and not that every house can become a casino.
We need to dedicate our efforts to take measures to protect vulnerable people. Limiting online gambling advertising is one of them. We need to revalue the culture of work and effort. Work and education are the essential pillars from which the dignity of every person and a prosperous country are built. I believe that, as a society, we have to commit ourselves to eradicate the culture of gambling, of easy and fast money, for the culture of effort, sacrifice and work.