Legislation
Chile – Gaming law could be changed to encompass responsible gaming measures
By James - 4 July 2023
The head of the Chilean Gaming Board (SJC) Vivien Villagrán has put forward the National Responsible Gaming Strategy. The Plan is part of the strategic objectives that the SCJ has defined for the year 2023. The strategy establishes that all of those involved in the industry take a leading role regarding the prevention of risky behaviours in relation to gambling.
The SCJ’s initiative was announced in the framework of the Responsible Gaming and Mental Health Seminar which took place at the Universidad de Concepción. This is an initiative organized by the regulator in conjunction with the University faculty that responds, precisely, to the emphasis and priority that the institution has given to the promotion of a culture of healthy entertainment in Chile.
According to the SJC although Law No. 19,995, which establishes the General Bases for the authorization, operation, and supervision of gambling casinos, has allowed the SCJ to address matters of self-exclusion, it does not provide the institution with all the tools needed to develop a comprehensive responsible gaming policy.
According to a statement released by the SJC this has challenged the regulatory body, and in this context, the SJC has assumed the challenge of moving forward and establishing a shared perspective with different public and private agencies on the subject, as well as creating tools focused on addressing the negative impact of gambling including preventive actions.
The initiative covers three strategic lines of work: the first is to educate players, their families and society in general, the second is to provide information regarding problematic and/or pathological behaviours with gambling and how to prevent them and, finally, it encourages good responsible gambling practices and the design of a problem gambling prevention model. “Currently there are no public mental health programs around pathological gambling whose prevalence rate would be around 2%. In addition, the Superintendency does not have powers regarding responsible gambling, so one of our objectives is to propose changes to the Casino Law and others, which include the protection of players and the recognition of pathological gambling as a mental health condition,” said the head of the SJC Vivien Villagrán
