Families must be protected from gambling addiction

Families must be protected from gambling addiction

The Bishops’ Conference of Argentina is calling for families to be protected from the recent rise in gambling addiction.

The executive committee of the bishops' conference issued a statement Dec. 20 titled, “The Dangers of Gambling.” In the document, the bishops stressed that “one of the fundamental values” for defending life is “freedom, which our society treasures so greatly.”

“We long to be free of every attachment. For this reason today we wish to express our concern and sorrow over a growing affliction in many families: the addiction to gambling,” the bishops said.

The bishops warned that “gambling is a business that involves huge sums of money for the benefit of a few and the detriment of many, especially the poor.”

“We are also aware that this activity is linked to money laundering associated with the drug cartels, arms trafficking and human trafficking. The problem is complex,” they wrote.

“The government must guarantee the complete protection of the family” because “a person who is passionate about gambling could risk and lose things that belong to his or her spouse and children. It is something that harms family communion,” the bishops continued.

In response to the argument that taxes from gambling are used to pay for some public works and services, they said, “the ends do not justify the means. It should also be pointed out that a large percentage of what is raised through gambling ends up in the pockets of a few, and only a small portion goes to helping the poor.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to gradually think about more appropriate sources of financing?” they asked.

The bishops called on the government to help those addicted to gambling, to ensure the industry operates with transparency and observes regular business hours, especially in poor areas. “It is essential that public morality be strengthened and that there be no suspicion of corruption.”

“The religious dimension of the human person” must be taken into account when helping those with a gambling addiction. “The experience of an encounter with the merciful Father heals the wounds of our lives and is the strength needed to rebuild the person and re-establish family and friendship ties,” the bishops concluded.