IMCA Warns of Surge in Cellphone and Online Gambling Addictions in Cancún

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The Municipal Institute Against Addictions (IMCA) has issued a warning about a sharp rise in behavioral addictions in Cancún, particularly dependence on cellphones, video games and online gambling among adolescents and adults.

Alberto Ortuño, the agency’s director, said that immediate access to technology allows children and young people to interact with apps that use real money with a single click, accelerating compulsive behaviors from an early age.

“On your phone, there are already apps where you bet real money. Before, you went to a casino; now you pick up your phone, tap and bet money, and that hooks young people,” Ortuño said.

Ortuño explained that these non-chemical addictions trigger the same reward mechanisms in the brain as illicit substances, leading to progressive dependency. He also lamented what he called “ultra-connection,” noting that it has become increasingly common for parents to give tablets or smartphones to children as young as four or five as a way to keep them entertained.

To address the problem, the IMCA said it will step up awareness campaigns in schools and expand psychological and psychiatric services. Through the school program “I’m Not an Accomplice,” the institute has reached more than 103,000 students in the municipality of Benito Juárez, which includes Cancún.

The agency is also focusing on priority areas, including the supermanzanas (residential blocks) 259, 260, 251, 249 and 107, as part of a joint government strategy for peace-building and crime prevention.

Ortuño called on parents to lead by example, set clear screen-time limits and encourage physical and social activities to break digital dependence.