A proposal to ban the promotion of gambling outside of gaming halls was presented to Argentina’s National Congress this week.
Omar Duclos, a member of one of Argentina’s opposition parties, put forward a project that, if approved, would see advertisements and other publicity for games of chance banned in print, press and online media as well as in public places such as shopping centres and stadiums.
The proposal, which would need to successfully pass through a system of congressional committees before it could be voted on, is the latest in a string of similar projects presented within Argentina.
Under Duclos’ proposal, in-house promotions within gaming halls would be allowed, but only if they carried messages alerting players to problems associated with compulsive gambling.
Duclos said that it was necessary to “change the paradigm that sees gambling as a reliable source of tax revenue” and to attend to its negative impact on public spending in terms of the social, health and economic costs associated with compulsive gambling.
“It is essential to adopt concrete measures to make the public aware of the negative effects of compulsive gambling and to prevent gambling addictions,” said Duclos.
Referring to similar measures regarding the promotion of tobacco, he argued that a ban on the promotion of casino games would also prevent people starting gambling at a young age.
Should the proposals be passed, the AFSCA, a self-governed regulatory body that monitors audio-visual communications in Argentina, would be empowered to oversee compliance with the rules and to apply sanctions for any breaches.
