The betting business has become a reality in us. If you look at the data of Vitoria-Gasteiz, there are 27 gambling halls open at the end of the year, which will be 32, which will open in the neighborhoods of Txagorritxu, Zabalgana and Lakua. In 2017, the Association of Players in Rehabilitation attended 146 people, and 89% of those attending the association were men. After several surveys, observational works and discussions, a brochure has been published: Out of the game in the neighborhood. Various clarifications of gambling halls.

Historically, one of the main challenges for young people has been to study where and where they spend their free time – and to turn it around if necessary. "We saw a lot of friends around us spending time in these rooms. This was one of the reasons why we started working on gambling halls," says Virginia Gómez (Vitoria, 1996), a member of the Judith Youth Assembly. He is accompanied by Igor Serna (Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1995), who recalls that when they started working on the theme of gambling halls they received a call from several parents from other neighborhoods. In fact, although they have begun a detailed elaboration with the room located on Olagibel Street, in the words of the young people "we are facing a problem of the Vitoria level".

Works of observation

The first step of the youth assembly was to initiate a debate at the internal level: "Given the need for training, we did a reading about the game and its consequences." To begin the research phase, they were inside the room and analyzed the profiles that were present. The report highlights three: older men who are alone in the room, younger men with their girlfriend or wife, and groups of boys who are just over 18 years old. They found the decor of the betting machines quite significant, and this may be one of the reasons why they understand these profiles. "The woman is completely hypersexualized," says Gomez.

In order to find out about the internal functioning of the room, they have managed to interview former employees of the premises. They talk to two former bartenders, both of whom denounce "strict controls." There are cameras inside: “They use them to control customers and co-workers.”

The neighborhood shops also complain

In addition to having betting machines, since the gambling hall is a bar, neighborhood bartenders have denounced that the prices are very low. What’s more, two nearby breakfast bars have been closed in the last year. "With a long schedule, and because it serves as a bar, it can lead to the closure of more bars," the young people condemn. On weekends, the game room is closed for two hours only.

However, some neighbors do not share this view. "We have been told that they are against the gambling halls, but they see the building as a bar," says Serna. In other cases, the response they have received has been much simpler: “It’s everyone’s choice to gamble,” he said. Many others have reported an increase in police presence and incidents. "Drug use has increased: they usually traffic at the very door of the room," Gómez said. Young people say they “want to establish social control under the pretext of drugs and riots.”

As if that were not enough, the rest of the testimonies they have received have also left the young people in awe. "We have found neighbors who have needed street educators playing with machines." Explaining this, the main one remembers the struggles of other capitals: "These rooms do not place them in the center of Burgos or Madrid; they open this type of business in areas such as Fuenlabrada or Gamonal. They are very skilled at dealing with socio-economic needs."

But why not approach the new neighborhood store for a coffee? They answered with other questions: "If a few make money, who loses? If a big company has big profits, who loses customers? Do we want to build a community like this? ". There is only one answer to all these questions: "The neighborhood loses."

Research study, Assembly members believe the problem is “highly normalized.” "The game wants to control people. And when it comes to young people, the owners know how to behave: they want money for a specific moment, without looking at it in the long run." In this regard, a youth campaign has been launched to raise awareness about gambling and what it means to work in a gambling hall.

They also hope that the brochure will be useful for the rest of the neighborhoods. "We should do some of the impetus, but since we don't have much hope, we hope to form a network to deal with this problem," Serna says. Meanwhile, out of the game in the Neighborhood produced by the youth of Judimendi. The brochure of different explanations about the game rooms will be available in five areas of the neighborhood; Volcanic Space, Candela, Globo, Granjas, Latán, Kilkerra, Nuestra Rincón, Rey Luis and Irusta.