On December 8, 2023, the Ukrinform agency hosted a round table "Discussion of the social service for the social and psychological rehabilitation of people with gambling addiction", initiated by the NGO "Responsible Gaming Center" (RGC).
The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy, the Ministry of Health represented by the State Institution "Institute of Forensic Psychiatry of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine", the NSSU and the State Institution "Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine", KRAIL, and local authorities; institutions that specialize in providing assistance to people with gambling addiction - MEDLUX clinic, ATOS clinic, REHAB clinic, New Life addiction center, RECOVERY Center for Restorative and Psychosomatic Medicine, the International Anti-Drug Association, KMNKL "Sociotherapy", etc. - as well as scientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, lawyers and other interested persons who are concerned with the problem of gambling addiction.
Gambling organizers at the event were represented by FAVBET, the main sponsor of the project, which has been consistently supporting all its stages for more than a year: from the first national gambling addiction study to the practical implementation of its recommendations.
During the discussion, FAVBET representative Ksenia Tyurikova emphasized that the patronage of the new project is a continuation of the company's systemic efforts to create an ecosystem of socially responsible business in the gambling segment: "Already, the initiative of the Center for Responsible Gaming and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has given a tangible impetus to the search for new formats of assistance to those categories of people who need support on the way to overcoming gambling addiction. The next important step is to make sure that social and psychological rehabilitation services start to live on a practical level, and their potential users clearly understand where and how they can get them." Yuriy Yurchuk,
Ksenia Tyurikova, Konstantin Aymedov
The practical aspect of implementing the State Standard for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation of Gambling Addicts was discussed at the roundtable by Olga Isaieva, the head of the RGC. She noted that for the effective functioning of the system of providing social services to people addicted to gambling, it is important to establish communication between the relevant state institutions, gambling organizers, and social service providers.
Olha Isaieva
Khrystyna Dutka, representative of the state regulator in the field of gambling organization and conduct, said that CRAIL welcomes the introduction of such a state standard, as this will allow the state body to offer players appropriate services and minimize the manifestations of gambling addiction.
Khrystyna Dutka
Other participants also supported the development of a social standard and made recommendations for its full functioning.
For example, Iryna Ivanchuk from the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine emphasized the need to delineate the spheres of influence, competencies of medical or social services in order to be able to distinguish between social and medical services.
Professor, Doctor of Psychology, Head of Rehabilitation Programs at ATOS Clinic Serhiy Boltivets, emphasized that the purpose of this service is to save human life, so the society should be ready to receive psychological, psychotherapeutic, or medical assistance.
An important aspect of overcoming gambling addiction was emphasized by Yaroslav Garnoga, head of the New Life Addiction Center, who noted that 95% of Ukrainian players consider gambling as a source of income and there is a need to raise awareness at the state level that gambling is not a source of income.
Yaroslav Garnoga, Serhiy Boltivets
Oleksandr Nizhelskyi, Iryna Tarasiuk, Serhiy Shum, Liubomyr Pytel
The draft state standard for the provision of social and psychological rehabilitation services for people with gambling addiction will be published on the RGC Facebook page and any interested person will be able to contribute to the development of this socially important document.
PARTICIPATION IN GAMBLING CAN CAUSE GAMBLING ADDICTION. FOLLOW THE RULES (PRINCIPLES) OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING