A quiet crisis is taking hold and it’s flying below the radar of international observers. Masses of young people are developing destructive online gambling addictions in bedrooms and schoolyards across Argentina.
Teenagers in Argentina whose entire classes are addicted as heard by the Herald. Because of debts their children have racked up, families are losing their cars. Telling their stories is difficult due to many won’t speak to the press. Both are out of a sense of shame and because many of the afflicted are minors.
This crisis has hit young people at a time when they are incredibly vulnerable. The majority of Argentines live in poverty. Aside from the reason that adults are out of work, inflation, deregulation, and savage formal and informal liquidizer pay stagnation policies have pushed many workers below the breadline. 2 out of 3 people under 14 live below the poverty line. This is according to official statistics.
The crunch coincides with a government that promotes hyper-individualism and a pro-market discourse, claiming that individuals are responsible for their economic situations. They suggest that everyone should engage in side trading, portraying the bloated, controlling state as the main problem.
Trading and finance are a necessary part of the vibrant economy. Nevertheless, it has become clear that many people do not understand enough about how the system works to recognize when scammers are conning them into crypto Ponzi schemes and similar schemes.
Since at least 2021, provincial governments have allowed online gambling companies to operate. Some are based abroad in countries like Malta. It often partners with local casinos to get the licenses they need. These sites are subject to legal regulations, which state that users must be at least 18 years old and that consenting adults can choose to gamble if they wish. Nonetheless, when have internet age controls ever worked?
