Criticisms of online gaming in Buenos Aires city

Unions have questioned the project as debates progress on legislation that would permit online gaming in the Argentina capital.

Argentina.- On the same day the Buenos Aires legislature prepares to vote on regulating online gaming in the city, the gaming workers’ union has called a protest against the legislation.

The Sindicato de Trabajadores de Juego (ALEARA) organised a march set to take place at 11am at the gates of the city legislative palace to express workers’ opposition to an activity that they believe will affect their jobs.

ALEARA said in a statement: “Amid a pandemic of unprecedented global characteristics, an attempt is being made to take advantage of the situation in order to impose measures that will affect our livelihoods in the future.”

The union also delivered a petition to the first vice president of the legislature, Agustín Forchieri, outlining the reasons it opposed the measure.

It reads: “It is time to finish stigmatising gambling with retrograde initiatives based on unreliable and unverified statistics. In Buenos Aires, there are more than 10,000 families that live from legal gambling and traditionally hundreds of thousands of residents visit licensed venues every monthly for entertainment and fun.”

Lastly, the union asked “to put an end to this persecution that has already cost thousands of jobs with the closures of bing halls in Caballito, Flores, Peatonal Lavalle, Congreso and Belgrano neighbourhoods.”