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2020-04-14
Filipe Mayer comments on Bill No. 326/XIV

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Filipe Mayer, Partner and responsible for the Online Gaming area at CCA, writes an opinion piece for Expresso on Bill n ° 326 / XIV of the Party of People, Animals, and Nature (PAN), which determines restrictions on access to online gaming platforms. With the social isolation imposed by the current state of emergency, the PAN was concerned about the potential increase in demand for gaming platforms by people with addictive behaviours.

However, as the CCA partner points out, "a ban on access to gaming platforms (we are talking about licensed operators because only these are regulated) does not prevent real gaming addicts from stopping playing; they simply start playing with unlicensed operators". He adds that "the legislative option reveals a total absence of analysis work on the profile of a compulsive gambler, absolute ignorance of the online gaming market in Portugal (and in the world), as well as a complete lack of knowledge on the current Legal Regime for Online Gambling and Betting and the political-legislative process that preceded it".

"Gaming addiction is a real and serious problem and requires firm action from everyone, starting with the legislator. However, a serious problem must be addressed with the seriousness that, in this specific case, the political forces that drafted and made this Bill simply lacked. I hope, for everyone's sake - starting with the players - that the Government, which will regulate this law in the coming days, does a better job", said Filipe Mayer.