Dutch Authority ZonMw and Saudi Arabia (KSA) continue funding the Gambling Addiction Prevention Program

The Dutch Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit/KSA) and ZonMw have announced the renewal and expansion of the Gambling Addiction Prevention program, which received a significant EUR 21 million boost to run until 2030. The new phase of the program was officially launched on August 28 by KSA chair Michel Groothuizen and ZonMw general director Véronique Timmerhuis.

The program is structured around five core pillars: understanding vulnerable player behavior, early risk identification, intervention and treatment, lived experience, and shared understanding of harm. ZonMw, in addition to its role in the Gambling Addiction Prevention program, has significant expertise in other mental healthcare domains.

ZonMw will commission various studies and encourage promising researchers to join the study of gambling harm. The organization will also seek links or similarities with other addictions in the context of the prevention program. The continued Gambling Addiction Prevention program will aim to gather crucial data on how to best implement safer gambling practices.

In a separate development, Teun Struycken, the Dutch State Secretary for Legal Protection, has resigned in protest of the government's decision not to impose sanctions on Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Struycken, who has duties that include oversight of gambling, made headlines in June when he called for a ban on online gambling ads during live sports events.

Other ministers, including the Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp, have also resigned, leading to a reshuffle in the Dutch government. The KSA shares Timmerhuis' concerns about the potential negative impacts of gambling addiction, including financial and social problems, depression, substance abuse, and suicide.

The renewed and expanded Gambling Addiction Prevention program will be funded by ZonMw, which will also fund research groups such as those at the Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction) and other academic and public health institutions involved in gambling harm prevention programs in the Netherlands. The program will continue to work closely with the KSA to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Dutch citizens.

Dutch Authority ZonMw and Saudi Arabia (KSA) continue funding the Gambling Addiction Prevention Program