Gambling addiction has become a silent emergency that destroys families for generations. What was once confined to casinos and gambling dens now fits in young people’s pockets, on mobile phones.
In just three years, the online gaming platform has turned millions of Argentines into hooked customers. As Europe imposed increasingly strict restrictions, gambling lobbies began to direct their power and funds toward Latin America. And our country was at the mercy of this expansion, as there were no domestic laws to regulate this activity.
Last year, the House of Representatives took a historic step. The Law on Prevention of Gambling and Regulation of Betting and Betting Online Games was approved with more than 135 votes in favor. We made this decision after several months of discussions in five committees, led by CCARI President Monica Frede and with the participation of experts, teachers, athletes, youth and families who speak to the pain of helplessness.
This half-sanction is not a whim, but a cross-cutting response to demands from civil society, which has been echoed by Anglican pastoral work and, above all, by thousands of young people who have seen how this problem is destroying the lives of their friends and going unchecked while the authorities turn a blind eye.
Data speaks louder. Eight out of ten gambling sites operating in Argentina are illegal. In 2023, 14.6 million people participated in online gaming platforms, and 78% did so on unregulated sites. 65% of young people know someone who has a gambling problem. One in four teens who have gambled went into debt or spent the money on other things.
It can take seven years for adults to become addicted, but two years is enough for young people. And ubiquitous advertising disguised as entertainment is the main factor contributing to this tragedy.
The project that we managed to approve aims to set reasonable limits and return responsibility to the state in matters of public health. All forms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of the game online, in the media, on social networks, on soccer shirts, in stadiums, streaming or in influencer posts are prohibited. As with tobacco, we understand that addictive habits cannot continue to become normal. No one should fill their pockets with harmful things.
From football players to content creators, figures admired by millions must take responsibility for not associating betting with false notions of success and progress.
The law also protects minors through a biometric system for registration and platform access, and introduces daily spending limits, a ban on the use of credit cards, a national self-exclusion registration and awareness campaign. It would force companies to warn about dangerous practices, eliminate gamification strategies that seek to win player loyalty, and establish tough sanctions for those who organize or facilitate illegal gambling.
We know that we have one of the most powerful lobbies in this country before us. We were already seeing it in the hallways of the House of Representatives before the vote, and now we’re seeing it in the Senate, where the project is waiting to be processed. We see it in football clubs that display gambling house logos on their shirts, media saturated with advertising, and social networks where algorithms amplify the message that you can get rich without trying. And you can see it in the silence of those who don’t want to disrupt an industry that moves more than $130 billion around the world.
There can be no neutrality in the face of this. Every week that passes without this legislation being taken up in the Senate means more children are left in debt, more families are left in despair, and more lives are trapped in a click-fast addiction. That’s why this is not a moral debate, but a debate about public health, ethics, and political responsibility.
Today I am appealing to senators from all blocs, to Senate President Victoria Villaruel, who at the time expressed concerns about this issue, and to Senator Lucia Colpacz, who chairs the committee that is awaiting processing of the project. I say this respectfully but firmly. Don’t bet on young people’s lives.
Let’s not delay further what we already have social and political consensus on. Let them not allow themselves to be conditioned by the pressures of industries that enrich themselves at the expense of the most vulnerable. They not only have an institutional obligation, but also a human obligation to protect the health and well-being of Argentines. Let’s take the step that society has been waiting for. It is time for the state to finally stop turning a blind eye and enact this necessary measure into law.
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