LOTBA Launches 2026 World Cup Awareness Guide to Promote Responsible Gambling

With the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching and attracting the interest of football fans worldwide, the Lottery of the City of Buenos Aires (LOTBA) has launched an awareness campaign aimed at preventing problem gambling and promoting responsible gambling behavior. The organization revealed its 2026 World Cup Awareness Guide, a tool created to assist families with addressing the issue of growing exposure of children and adolescents to the sports bets associated with the event.

Read more Flutter Cuts Jobs at PokerStars Amid FanDuel Shift

LOTBA president Jesús María Acevedo introduced the guide and represents a compilation of recommendations, tips, and warnings designed to help parents protect their kids from the dangers of online betting associated with one of the most popular sporting events in the world.

A Step Taken in Response to Growing Concerns about Young Gamblers

According to LOTBA, the World Cup increases exposure of children and adolescents to sports bets through advertising, promotions, social media posts, and even everyday conversations. In turn, the increased exposure can contribute to the normalization of gambling behavior among underage individuals, although betting is strictly forbidden for persons under the age of 18 in Argentina.

The guide cites the results of a study conducted by the Argentine Red Cross in 2025, which reveals that six out of ten teenagers have been somehow exposed to online betting either as direct participants or through their social environments. Additionally, the first experience is often gained between the ages of 13 and 14, boys are three times more likely to participate in sports bets than girls, and 83% of youth bettors use digital wallets to pay.

Helpful Tips for Families

In order to assist families with identifying the warning signs, the guide provides a number of behavioral symptoms that might indicate increased exposure to online betting. It includes paying more attention to a mobile phone rather than to a football game, hiding screens from others, frequent use of such words as odds or probabilities, requesting money unreasonably, as well as experiencing unexpected mood changes and irritability.

Read more Why Egpyt’s second goal vs. Argentina was taken back after VAR review

Instead of limiting children with prohibitions, LOTBA urges parents to take advantage of everyday opportunities, such as watching games together, and talk to their kids about bets without judgment. Moreover, the guide suggests informing kids that gambling is an activity that can be engaged in only by adults and emphasizing that the example of responsible behavior set by parents is no less significant than talks.

Education as Prevention

The publication is one of the ways of implementing LOTBA’s strategy related to the implementation of public awareness initiatives and responsible gambling, especially during such mass sporting events as the World Cup that are usually accompanied by an increase in gambling activity.

Through the introduction of accessible educational materials for families, the organization attempts to decrease the risk of exposure of children to possible dangers and encourages the discussion of various topics, including digital security, responsible gambling, and prevention of underage betting.

Read more Lionel Messi penalty kick history: Argentina captain’s record on penalties after World Cup miss

Source: SBC Noticias