The National Technological University in La Plata is hosting a public forum on online gambling this Thursday. The event takes place November 6 at 6 pm in the President Juan Domingo Perón Assembly Hall.
Two academics from the National University of La Plata will lead the discussion. Psychologist Marcela Soengas teaches at the Seminar on Drug Addiction and Dependencies at the School of Lacanian Orientation. She coordinates pre-professional training in Adult Clinical Studies at UNLP and works at the Centre for Assistance and Prevention of Compulsive Gambling.
Sociologist Lucas Sánchez, a doctoral fellow at IdIHCS-UNLP/CONICET, brings expertise in information technologies and digital inequalities. His current research examines Argentina’s technological development through the satellite industry and ARSAT’s public-sector experience from 2006 to 2024.
Why This Forum Matters for Argentine Communities
Recent UNICEF data reveals the scale of youth gambling in Argentina. One in four adolescents has placed an online bet. Six in ten know someone who’s gambled digitally.
Digital platforms have intensified exposure to gambling content. Young people face this content across social media, streaming services and gaming platforms. The accessibility creates new challenges that traditional prevention methods weren’t designed to handle.
The organisers cite emotional, economic and educational dimensions as key concerns. They’re pushing for dialogue between educational institutions and public authorities.
What the University Forum Will Cover
The event carries the title “Online Games and Betting: A Problem of Our Time.” UTN’s Academic Secretariat and Health Department organised the session.
It’s open to faculty, students and the broader community. The format encourages reflection on how online betting affects different social groups (particularly young audiences).
Soengas and Sánchez will present separate perspectives on the issue. The psychologist brings clinical experience with gambling addiction. The sociologist offers insight into how technology policy shapes access to gambling platforms.
The session aims to generate collective responses to what organisers call a growing social problem.
How This Fits Argentina’s Gambling Debate
Educational institutions are stepping into a space where regulation has lagged behind technology. Universities like UTN La Plata are treating online gambling as a public health concern that needs academic attention.
The forum represents a shift toward prevention through awareness. Rather than waiting for regulatory solutions, the university is creating space for community discussion about gambling’s effects.
Other Argentine institutions will likely watch this event’s reception. The UNICEF statistics suggest the problem extends beyond La Plata. Similar forums could emerge at universities across the country if this model proves effective.
The session also connects gambling issues to broader questions about digital inequalities and technology access. Sánchez’s research background suggests the discussion won’t just focus on individual behaviour but also on how platform design and policy decisions shape gambling exposure.
