The Ukrainian Gambling Council continues its efforts to counter and prevent gambling, the risks of which may have increased somewhat with the beginning of the war, as illegal businesses became more active. Solving this problem is a rather complex and comprehensive task that requires close cooperation with public authorities.
In order to deepen such efforts, at the end of August, the Ukrainian Gambling Council signed the Memorandum on Cooperation with the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL), the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine, the National Social Service of Ukraine, the Institute of Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatric Examination and Drug Monitoring of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Coordinating Centre for the Provision of Legal Aid and the Responsible Gambling Centre in the creation of a systematic approach to prevent and combat gambling addiction.
The signatories of the Memorandum have identified the following areas of cooperation to achieve a common goal:
- Creating favourable conditions for reducing and preventing social risks associated with the organization and conduct of gambling in Ukraine;
- Facilitating the implementation of a complex of therapeutic-preventive and social-rehabilitation measures to combat gaming addiction;
- Increasing the level of awareness of the population regarding the possible adverse consequences of gambling addiction: forming a conscious attitude to the game, understanding that the loss of control over the gambling process can lead to addiction;
- Facilitating the development of institutions of civil society that provide assistance to persons with signs of gambling addiction;
- Forming life skills, ability to resist risks and threats associated with gambling addiction;
- Facilitating carrying out informational, expert-analytical and other activities aimed at prevention and combating gambling addiction;
- Exchanging analytical, statistical and reference materials and information of mutual interest;
- Facilitating protection of rights, legitimate interests, and organizing and provision of services to persons with gambling addiction;
- Facilitating the minimization of harm from gambling and prevention of gambling addiction (ludomania);
- Development of regulatory and legal acts regulating prevention and combating gaming addiction, as well as rehabilitation of addicted persons.
By participating in the signing of the Memorandum, the UGC deepened its dialogue with public authorities and once again demonstrated its commitment to the principles of appropriate gambling in general and to countering the expansion of gambling addiction in particular. We are grateful to CRGL for getting us involved in this process at an early stage.
I also hope that concluding of the Memorandum will become a reference point in the work of public authorities regarding the study of the spread of gambling addiction in the lottery market and the implementation of measures to reduce its level.
I would like to point out that currently, the effective legislation does not require lottery operators to do anything to prevent gambling addiction, and the companies represented in this market completely ignore public initiatives to combat ludomania and at the same time are unobserved in cooperation with public authorities.
Improvement of the system of cooperation between participants of the legal gambling market and state institutions to increase the safety of players and ensure compliance with all requirements of the effective legislation was and remains a basic priority in the work of the UGC. The memorandum became another important step in our activities.