TLDR
- Buenos Aires deputy Valentín Miranda is demanding updates on a youth gambling prevention plan launched in July 2024
- The plan was designed to prevent and eliminate online gambling among minors across the province
- Miranda says there is almost no data on whether the program has actually been effective
- A new gambling commission approved by congress earlier this year has still not been established
- A 2024 survey found 34% of secondary school students in the province had gambled online at least once
Almost two years after Buenos Aires province launched a plan to tackle youth gambling addiction, a provincial lawmaker is asking what happened to it.
Deputy Valentín Miranda has formally requested information from the government of Governor Axel Kicillof about the status of the Comprehensive Plan to Tackle Problem Gambling Among Adolescents. The plan was introduced in July 2024.
Miranda wants to know if the initiative is still active, who is running it, and how often those involved are meeting.
The program was originally announced by several top provincial officials. These included Health Minister Nicolás Kreplak, Security Minister Javier Alonso, Justice Minister Juan Martín Mena, former Education Director Alberto Sileoni, and Gonzalo Atanasof, president of the Provincial Lottery and Casino Institute.
At its launch, the government said the plan would unite seven ministries and provincial institutions. The task force was meant to coordinate healthcare, education, and law enforcement efforts in response to rising online betting among teenagers.
Miranda says there is broad political agreement that youth gambling is a problem. But he argues there is very little data showing whether the plan has actually made a difference.
Miranda Seeks Data on Schools and Treatment Programs
The deputy asked for information on investigations, surveys, and public policies tied to the initiative. He also wants to know what role the General Directorate of Culture and Education has played in addressing the issue.
Miranda specifically asked about awareness campaigns in schools and whether teachers have been trained to spot gambling-related problems among students.
He also requested data on treatment and aid programs for young people affected by gambling addiction. This includes numbers on how many people have been helped and how families are involved in prevention and recovery.
Another key concern raised by Miranda is the lack of official statistics on underage gambling on betting websites. He said this gap makes it harder for officials to do their jobs effectively.
Miranda described his request as cooperative rather than confrontational. He said all sides agree on the need to fight adolescent gambling addiction and that he wants to help move things forward.
“We are counting on the promptness of the executive branch’s reply to our queries,” he said.
New Gambling Commission Still Not Formed
Earlier this year, during the first session of the Buenos Aires Congress of Deputies, lawmakers approved the creation of a Commission on Gambling, Lottery, and Prevention of Gambling Addiction. The commission was supposed to review legislative proposals related to gambling.
Opposition deputies say the commission has still not been formed. That delay has stalled discussion on several bills aimed at addressing underage gambling.
One of those bills was passed through the Addiction Prevention Commission in November 2024. It combined multiple proposals from opposition deputies focused on fighting youth gambling.
Miranda has pointed to the broader harm caused by underage gambling. He said the addiction affects teenagers’ finances, families, social lives, education, and careers. He also said it leads to physical and mental health problems.
When the prevention plan was first presented, Government Minister Carlos Bianco said it was created on instructions from Governor Kicillof to assist teenagers and regulate gambling networks.
Health authorities at the time shared results from a June 2024 survey of 434 secondary school students. The survey found that 34% of participants had gambled online at least once.
Proposed measures at the time included school-based education campaigns, teacher training, blocking gambling website IPs in schools, biometric age verification systems, and stricter advertising regulations.
