Spain’s Council of Ministers elected in February 2017 to change the wording in their classification of gambling addiction. The council rephrased it as a “drug addiction without substance”, an interesting and almost unique move in national legislation. The move was based, Spain has indicated, on a report on gambling addiction produced by the American Psychiatric Association.
Now this definition is slated to be enshrined in a new “Gambling Harm” policy to be included within Spain’s new 2018 – 2020 mandate, Action Plan on Addictions. The action has been organised by both the National Health Ministry and the Spanish gambling regulator DGOJ.
The mandate seeks to advise health professionals and other social entities how to deal with addiction issues, including drug abuse. The reclassification of gambling addiction as a form of drug addiction may give sufferers greater protection and support under Spanish law, in doing so entitling them to greater resources. The mandate itself is part of a broader shift in policy aimed at developing a new course for Spain’s National Addiction Strategy.
One of the major changes contained in this strategic revamp is a move away from a focus on illicit drug abuse. The new parameters account for the abuse of licit substances and forms of addiction beyond that. Treating gambling addiction as a form of drug abuse is a perfect example of this. It is a fascinating move and hopefully will remove some of the stigma or blame which is often attached to problem gambling by those with no expertise on the condition. With luck, it will bring the issue into clearer light.
Equally fascinating, 24% of the budget for this new strategy, which already has €1 billion in funding, is derived from monies confiscated from arrested drug traffickers.
It turns out some forms of circularity make more sense than others.
