THE 36-member Quezon City council has invited various stakeholders and the public to attend today’s final public hearing for the proposed Quezon City Responsible Gambling Ordinance.
District 1 Ivy Councilor Xenia Lagman said the hearing aims to thresh out concerns of the stakeholders and gather input regarding the implementation of the measure to ensure responsible gambling, or the Ordinance Regulating the Operation of Games of Chance within the territorial jurisdiction of Quezon City, Establishing the Code of Practice for Responsible Gambling and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof.
In 2014, the city council passed Ordinance No. SP-2285 regulating the operation of games of chance in the city.
To further strengthen its regulations, Proposed Ordinance 20CC-247 introduces `affirmative action like the requirements of special permits covering casinos, bingo, cockfighting, on-line sports betting, e-games, and the like and the establishment the special procedures for applying for these special permits.
According to Lagman, the measure will formulate proactive measures to prevent the negative effects of gambling on the health and welfare of its residents, such as expanding the list of excluded or banned personalities in gambling establishments and providing a mandatory gambling fee for every consecutive day (24 hours) spent on gambling establishments.
It enforces the conduct of information and education campaigns by gambling establishments to prevent problem gambling and created a 24/7 help hotline for problem gamblers.
