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