In the debate over the new gaming legislation in Colombia, the Member of Congress Lucero Cortes, who proposed the legislative initiative, has insisted on the necessity for ‘Responsible Gambling’ in the South American country, with strict controls on the provision of alcohol. The draft bill also establishes that premises for casinos and gaming halls should be located outside big cities, and away from universities, schools, colleges and - surprise, surprise - commercial centres. The new law specifically refers to gaming halls being out of commercial centres.

After being debated in the Colombian Congress the draft bill will pass to the Senate for two in-depth debates. Without doubt it will be pointed out that the Cortes proposal would mean the complete unravelling of present gaming law, because both casinos and gaming halls in the Andean-Caribbean nation are long established in city centres and commercial centres. The outcome of such a law change would be the filing of hundreds of claims for judicial protection and, more importantly, the subsequent loss of gaming taxes that support the country’s health and pension schemes.

The main concern of the legislator Cortes, and responsible gaming operators, is the problem of gambling addiction. The proposed law intends to exclude the existence of banks or ATMs within the gaming locations and also to require the formation and implementation of Responsible Gaming programmes and other preventative measures with the state, gaming industry and organisations for prevention and treatment of addiction.

Together with support programmes to prevent gambling addiction, such as auto-exclusion, are requirements for the training and education of operators and gaming employees in the identification and control of problem gambling. However, notable by its absence, is the provision for public education particularly in schools whereby the concepts of percentages, risk and chance as applied to gaming – whether Colombia’s double zero roulette, lottery tickets, slot machines or other games of chance - could be explored and understood before those gambling halls and casinos beckon the unwary. (E-06.24.09)

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