Saudi Arabia Allocates Funds for Initiatives Aimed at Minimizing Negative Impacts of Gambling
Here's a refreshed take on the Netherlands Gaming Authority's (KSA) latest moves to combat gambling addiction:
Ramping Up the Fight Against Gambling Addiction
The Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA), ever vigilant in its mission, is beefing up its anti-gambling addiction efforts by renewing funding for four crucial public awareness projects. These initiatives draw financial backing from the Addiction Prevention Fund (VPF), a fund primarily powered by an additional levy on the providers of high-risk gambling services.
The VPF, founded in 2021, aims to slash gambling-related harm by supporting projects that enlighten and support the general public. Managed by the KSA, which has dished out hefty fines to unlicensed operators this year, the fund works in tandem with addiction specialists and institutions to ensure its resources are used judiciously.
In this round of funding, the emphasis is on upping public awareness and providing practical tools to recognize and manage problem gambling.
One project, for instance, boosts an existing e-learning course created by Jellinek, in collaboration with GGZ Ecademy. This training program equips primary care professionals, such as doctors, psychologists, and debt counselors, with the skills to spot and tackle online gambling addiction. The added funding will make the module more accessible to frontline healthcare providers.
Another project boosts the Trimbos Institute's "Helder op School" (Bright at School) program. Initially focused on vocational students, the initiative will now expand to encompass parent events, new lessons on gambling prevention, and resources for schools to handle gambling-related concerns.
A third project focuses on soccer athletes in the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie, including under-21 and under-19 teams. The players' union, VVCS, will enlighten players about off-field risks by visiting clubs. With the extra funding, VVCS will distribute flyers promoting tools like Gokstop and Gamban, and involve former players with gambling addiction experience as peer educators during awareness sessions.
Lastly, the funding strengthens Steffie.nl, an educational platform run by the Leer Zelf Online Foundation. Four gambling-focused modules, covering definitions, addiction, self-assessment, and game identification, are in development for release in autumn 2025.
With financial aid from the VPF, these projects aim to reach broader audiences, generate new educational content, and arm healthcare professionals, schools, and communities with the tools they need to prevent and address gambling-related harm.
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The Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA) is allocating VPF funds to renew and expand four projects aimed at preventing gambling addiction, equipping healthcare professionals with skills to identify and tackle online gambling addiction, broadening the reach of the Trimbos Institute's "Helder op School" program to schools and parents, educating soccer players about off-field risks and providing them with tools like Gokstop and Gamban, and developing four gambling-focused modules for the Steffie.nl educational platform. The aim is to arm healthcare professionals, schools, and communities with tools to prevent and address gambling-related harm. The renewed initiatives aim to generate new educational content and reach broader audiences.
