In a time when games of chance are increasingly present in everyday life, the key question that arises is - where are the boundaries of the game? A panel organized by BiznisCG, which was held in Podgorica, was dedicated to this very topic.
The panel "Where are the boundaries of play?: Responsibility when playing games of chance and prevention of underage gambling" brought together representatives of institutions, industry and the civil sector, with the aim of looking at responsibility in organizing and participating in games of chance from different angles, to open space for a serious dialogue on the prevention of underage gambling, but also to point out the need for a decisive fight against the growing black market, which further complicates this social phenomenon.
The Acting Director of the Gambling Authority, Spasoje Papić, pointed out that education, information and cross-sector cooperation must be a priority in the fight against the increasingly pronounced addiction of young people to betting.
He pointed out that although they have limited competencies in this domain, they plan to implement educational activities in cooperation with institutions and the civil sector this year.
"The focus will be on promoting responsible gaming, informing young people and their families, and raising awareness about the harmful consequences of gambling. The campaign will include the media, social networks, workshops and public forums, and will be aligned with the Action Plan for the Prevention of Gambling among Youth. In addition, special attention will be paid to legal controls regarding the proximity of betting shops to schools, the shutdown of illegal sites and the improvement of digital surveillance. Prevention must be built through knowledge and education - from the individual, through the family, to the entire society," said Papić, adding that their mission is not prohibition, but protection - especially of the most vulnerable.
"Prevention through education and responsible organization of games of chance must be a common obligation of the entire society," said Papić.
Goran Ćetković, a representative of the Volcano - Vezuv Creative Center, points out that if we really want to solve the problem of underage gambling, we must start from serious and credible data.
"We constantly hear about alleged research, but in reality – there is no relevant data. The most frequently used phrase is 'according to some research', and we do not know what research is, who conducted it, or what methodology. We, as legal organizers of games of chance, are partners in this system. We have received concessions from the state, we have been operating legally since 2004, and we try to set clear boundaries every day. We respect the rules in our facilities – minors do not have access. However, the problem does not begin and does not end with the organizers. Part of the responsibility also lies with the family, because everything starts with upbringing. Most young people want to prove themselves, take some 'step towards adulthood', so today that may be precisely making a deposit at a betting shop – it used to be cigarettes, now it is online betting. But let's be realistic: if a minor plays online games, he cannot withdraw money without someone else's card – so, we are back to the family again," said Ćetković.
He claims that the story of underage gambling has been largely sensationalized.
"We who have physical facilities know how it works and how hard we try to prevent such cases. That's why I propose something concrete - let's gather all the stakeholders and conduct serious, professional research. Let's engage a relevant agency, create a quality questionnaire and select a representative sample of young people. Only in this way will we know the true state of affairs. Without that, any analysis remains at the level of assumptions," said Ćetković, reported BiznisCG.
According to him, this topic cannot be allowed to be used for political showdowns.
"It is not fair for someone to declare us bad guys just because we are engaged in an activity that is not popular. Instead of populism, we need a law that will not push our industry into the black market. Because if everything is banned and closed, betting shops will move into apartments, basements and yards, without any control - and that is the path to ruin. Legal organizers are already competing with each other, but if the system creates conditions for someone from their home to offer more and better than a legal organizer, then we lose control," said Ćetković.
He emphasized that they are ready to cooperate with all stakeholders, to include the state, the Administration, the civil sector, and to gain an accurate insight into the situation on the ground.
"Only when we have concrete data can we seriously talk about solutions and take joint responsibility for this issue," he said.
Director of ADP Zid Igor Milošević pointed out that based on the reactions from the region, including Croatia, based on the campaigns launched and changes to the law, it can be seen that a red alarm has been raised regarding the effects that gambling has on a large part of the population.
"The entertainment industry has crossed the line a long time ago. And this is no longer a matter of preventing minors, but of an epidemic that affects many families. The culprits for this should primarily be sought in the ranks of state institutions that allowed such a spread that spilled over from legal flows into illegal channels. The state has neither prevented the uncontrolled influence of games of chance with its laws, nor has it in recent years invested in prevention, protection and support for people who need help. Of course, the greed of individuals and the departure of terminals from venues has contributed to the situation worsening day by day. We have clear proposals and a set of measures on how to act at different levels, and primary prevention is only a small segment of this," said Milošević.
The Director of Legal Affairs at MNA Gaming – Admiralbet, Miloš Lalević, said that experience from European countries shows that overly restrictive laws on games of chance often lead to the growth of the illegal market and a weakening of budget revenues.
"Responsible organizing can only yield real results if there is a balanced normative framework that simultaneously protects the public interest and enables stable operations of legal organizers," said Lalević.
He added that Admiral Bet continuously implements strict measures for responsible gaming, including responsible betting procedures, sophisticated tools for identifying risky behavior, spending control, as well as active player protection programs.
"However, such measures can only have their full effect in a regulatory environment that allows legal organizers to be competitive with illegal entities on the market," said Lalević.
He cited examples from Europe that clearly show that overly restrictive legislation, such as that currently being prepared in our country, although often enacted with good intentions, can have the opposite effect.
"In Germany, where a strict regime with bonus bans and limits of one euro per spin, an advertising ban, and a very low deposit limit is in force, the percentage of use of legal platforms for online slot games has fallen to between 20 percent and 40 percent, while as much as 75 percent of revenue comes from the illegal market. In Sweden, the introduction of limits on bonuses, deposits, and advertising resulted in 32 percent of players switching to content offered by illegal operators, compared to 21 percent in the previous year. Belgium, after the advertising ban, recorded a 6 percent increase in visits to illegal sites, while 50 percent of young men (18–21) are active on the black market of games of chance where there is no control," said Lalević, adding that this shows that it is necessary for legal measures to be the result of a well-recognized and measured balance, in order to preserve the competitiveness of licensed organizers, increase the use of legal services, and at the same time suppress the black market, because only in this way We can provide a stable, responsible and fiscally sustainable gaming system.
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