The statistics are far from encouraging, and far from improving, problems with gambling and gambling addiction are becoming alarming. Since gambling was regulated in Spain in 2011, cases of gambling addiction have skyrocketed, affecting young people in particular (many of them minors), and causing serious problems for families already strained by the economic crisis.
But there's always a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday, the Extremadura regional government approved the decree-law for the Promotion of Responsible Gambling, an initiative by Podemos that, among other measures, establishes a minimum distance of 300 meters door to door between betting shops and educational centers of the region. Controls are also being placed on advertising in spaces and times that directly affect young people.
At Podemos, we remain focused on people's problems, on the daily lives of our neighbors. That's why we champion this fight against the powerful gambling lobbies, which, with complete impunity and outside of any oversight, have dotted our cities with hundreds of gambling establishments.
After many meetings with associations of those affected and with experts in gambling and addiction problems, Podemos has presented various laws and measures throughout Spain to alleviate this growing scourge.
In the Region of Murcia, we are not immune to this problem, which is why Podemos presented a proposal to the regional assembly to amend the gambling law, in force since 1998 and clearly outdated in the face of new technologies and forms of gambling, as well as to propose aid and support programs for those affected. The law is pending debate and approval. Let's hope the process moves quickly to stop the suffering of so many families in Murcia.
For our part, Podemos Cieza brought a motion to the City Council to curb the proliferation of betting shops in our city; there are currently six betting shops in Cieza. We even requested that this problem be taken into account during the review of the new urban development plan, which will begin shortly, and that solutions be sought to curb the proliferation of these establishments through urban planning ordinances.
We, the residents of Cieza, are Podemos; the problems of the people of Cieza are our problems. That's why Podemos Cieza was born: to bring real problems to the institutions, so that people could participate in politics and not just be mere spectators. Institutions are better when they are close to real problems, and that has been Podemos's work over these past four years, and that is the banner we will continue to carry in the next legislature: "Ordinary people doing politics, for everyone."