Through the implementation of an action plan the Authority has succeeded in largely destigmatising problematic and pathological behaviour, said President of the National Betting Authority Ioanna Fiakkou, on Monday.
Fiakkou was addressin the opening of the 5th Safe Gaming Conference as part of the activities of the 5th Safe Gaming Week, which was established so that through open dialogue on gambling in a safe environment with academics, experts, professionals and ordinary people we can make sure that we play for fun, talk about prevention, discuss what concerns us and recognise the first signs of a potential problem.
According to Fiakkou, the contribution of betting activity to the national economy in recent years has been significant, with the percentage of national revenue in 2016 amounting to 0.99% of GDP, in 2019 it reached 3.33%, in 2020, and despite a 6.5% contraction in GDP, it reached 2.87%, while in 2021 it increased to 3.34%, returning to pre-pandemic levels.
The Authority’s President then turned to 2017, when the Responsible Gambling Action Plan was developed in a climate of concern as to whether the parties involved would work together to implement it, as gambling was a taboo in Cypriot society, particularly when a player exhibited problematic or pathological behaviour.
However, she continued, through the implementation of the action plan, the continuous addressing of challenges and appropriate synergies, the Authority has succeeded in largely destigmatising problematic and pathological behaviour, as players can now more easily share their concerns and seek help where needed without fear of stigmatisation by society.
The above has triggered the development of the Safer Gambling Strategy 2022-2025, which is informed by the results of the actions and initiatives developed in previous years, as well as the international trend towards a holistic approach based on the public health model.
The public health approach is an organised, holistic and multi-faceted effort to respond to the wider social, cultural and regulatory environment in which betting and gambling occurs, while also recognising that the harm caused by betting and gambling is not limited to individual players and individuals with problematic behaviour, but that individuals, social groups and society as a whole can be equally affected by harmful effects directly or indirectly related to betting and gambling.
For this reason, the key objectives of the Strategy focus on key pillars, protection, prevention, support and mobilisation, which to be achieved requires effective coordination between different stakeholders to identify and address gaps in the system in prevention and treatment strategies, Fiakkou added.
She also said that the Authority is in the final stage of implementing the universal self-exclusion platform, and the way to automatically register persons with conflicts of interest, such as athletes and vulnerable persons, has been technically developed.
The Authority is also planning to consult with the market and European partners in the coming period, with the aim of promoting and adopting a European safe gambling standard, Fiakkou noted, while also expressing the hope that by the end of the year the Digital Centre for Safer Gaming will be implemented, which is expected to offer direct access to advisory services for the prevention of potential problematic behaviours.
Finally, she said that the Authority intends to submit a comprehensive proposal before the Minister of Health in the near future regarding the design, development and implementation of prevention and early intervention actions on risk or behavioural disorders related to betting and gambling among persons receiving care within GESY.
On his part, Minister of Health Michael Hadjipantela congratulated the Authority members on their efforts to ensure public health and added that through its work it has largely succeeded in ensuring safe gambling through the information of those directly concerned.
“Offering counselling guidance, providing proper information on the negative and positive impact of betting and gambling and preventing addiction, creating a friendly and social environment in places where betting and gambling takes place are among some ways of approaching and promoting public health,” Hadjipantela noted.
He added that public health is a concept with a social, economic, political and religious dimension and that in order to safeguard it, each of us must realise that it has only good and positive things to offer to the society as a whole. The Authority has realised this and is working in that direction through its actions, he added, concluding that as Minister of Health he will support its work.
Source: Cyprus News Agency