Spain Introduces Responsible Gambling Initiative in Sign Language

Posted on: July 4, 2022, 10:43h. 

Last updated on: July 6, 2022, 08:34h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Spain is pioneering a campaign to increase awareness for responsible gaming in a language often overlooked – sign language.

Teacher teaches sign language in Spain
A teacher teaches sign language to a student. Parents of deaf children in Spain now have access to a sign language guide to teach them about responsible gambling. (Image: Shutterstock)

“Gambling and betting” is the name of a new bilingual guide in Spanish sign language and written language. It aims to warn about the dangers of uncontrolled gambling at an early age.

Spain’s ?The State Confederation of Deaf People (CNSE, for its Spanish acronym) created the guide. In addition to providing a mechanism to educate deaf people on responsible gambling, it is also part of the group’s larger goal to eliminate communication barriers.

Education at an Early Age

This guide, available in web format complete with video presentations, provides educational resources to families with deaf children between 6 and 12 years old. In addition, it is a pioneering initiative in terms of prevention for this group. There are numerous publications and awareness campaigns related to gambling, but virtually none that include sign language.

For the CNSE, it was necessary to provide deaf people and their families with accessible information on how gambling and betting work. It also explains how our minds and emotions act when we are gambling.

We must not forget that the isolation and barriers to communication and access to education suffered by many deaf children can lead to situations of anxiety, stress and depression that favor a gambling addiction that we must avoid at all costs,” explains the CNSE in its new responsible gambling guide.

In this sense, ‘Gambling and betting’ will help young generations be aware of the realities of gambling. It will also provide their parents with resources that allow them to identify risk factors and prevent them from going further. To prepare the guide, the CNSE Foundation received funding from the Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs.

Gambling Drives Spain’s Economy

Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC, for its Spanish acronym) revealed in April that gambling and betting were top performers of the country’s economy through the third quarter of last year. Moreover, new figures show that the trend is continuing.

Last Friday, the CNMC reported that the gambling and betting sectors led the ranking of transactions once again in the fourth quarter. As a result, eCommerce in Spain exceeded €57.7 billion (US$60.31 billion) in 2021, 11.7% more than the previous year.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, eCommerce turnover in Spain increased by 15.8% year-on-year, as it reached €16.91 billion (US$17.68 billion). In the revenue ranking, the gambling and betting sectors jointly occupy fourth place with 4.4%. Beating them are clothing (8%), financial support services (6.6%), and travel agencies and tour operators (5.3%).

Regarding the transactions carried out in the fourth quarter, the CNMC data showed more than 334 million transactions, 8.6% more than the previous year. Of these, gambling and betting led to 7.3%. Next was the dining category, at 6.5%, which barely beat department stores (6.3%).