Dominican Republic creates the Responsible Gaming Unit

Some of the results reached by the Seminar called “Responsible Gaming”, held by the Responsible Gaming department of the National Lottery, are: To promote the compliance with articles 11 and 12, of the regulations that rule the different lottery sectors, where it sets the obligations and rights to players of draws, to bring advice, to bring legal opinion and try to defend the rights of responsible players, ellaborate the laws, make reports or possible infringements to the law and its complementary norms before the justice, among other regulations.

The general administrator of the National Lottery, José Francisco Peña Guaba, who was represented by doctor Argentina Pichardo in the activity, started promoting changes in organization, among which it involves the installation of the Responsible Gaming Unit, with the aim to show the most pleasant games of chance practises and prevent cityzens on the compulsive use of such games, as well as rule the access of underaged people to places in which those games are performed and promoted.

The activity counted with the participation of doctor José Mieses, director of the Mental Health Department of Public Health; doctor Douglas Escoto, Legal Assistant Director and Ana Luna, head of the Responsible Gaming Program of the National Lottery. Besides,  some of the guests were owners of consortiums, members of The College of Psychologists and the Association of Psychologists specialized in addiction, on top of the representatives of civil society.

During its talk, doctor Mieses talked about the need to design the communication related to prevention and information on the matter, to alert the families of the player on its own condition and the possibilities to get support.

He added that the Responsible Gaming Program implemented by the National Lottery also involves the training and specialization of units dedicated to people with gambling problems. Besides, the Head of the Responsible Gaming Program of the National Lottery, Ana Luna, informed that, in the country, there is a 64 % of adult population that gambles, with brings around 200,000 people with gambling problems.

Responsible gaming is performed by adults with a reasonable frequence and as an option of entertainment. In the game, the individual measures its own strengths and verifies his luck. From the social point of view, gaming is internalized since childhood and is a way to socialize and learn, considered as an alternative for the free time and relax. But, when the game controls the individual, it becomes a pathology with negative consequences for him and his family.

The Responsible Gaming Unit will be connected with the mental health sectors and the regulation to protect under-aged people and adults: CODOPSI, CONANI, the Prosecutor´s Office for Children and Teenagers, the Dominican Association of Psychiatrists, churches, associations of teachers and the general community, in order to guarantee a transparent and educational management, with is also effective in the control of the people with gambling problems.

With regards to the protection of underaged people, the law forbids playing lotteries and casinos to people under 18 years old, and checks that advertisements comply with the law.
It also controls that the sanctions are imposed, an issue treated by Escoto.

Peña Guaba decided to install this new department, with the aim to support those people that have personal and family backgrounds as well as predisposition to become a compulsive player.