Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit, has announced that Verslavingspreventiefonds – the Addiction Prevention Fund – will be financing three pilot gambling addiction awareness projects that will provide information about the risks of gambling.
The funding will allow for an update to Jellinek e-learning for early detection of gambling problems, a guide on Geldfit.nl to inform the public about gambling risk and where to go for money concern assistance, and the development of the Helder Op School programme – providing schools with materials for identifying and guiding risky or problematic gambling behaviour among young adults.
Established in 2021, funding provided by the VPF is managed by the Ksa, working together with the Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport, as well as Justice and Security on how to allocate the funds.
Regarding e-learning for early detection of gambling problems and at the request of the Ministry of Youth, addiction agency Jellinek developed digital online gambling addiction education for healthcare and business professionals such as doctors, POH GGZ, psychologists and debt counsellors. The education helps these professionals identify gambling addiction more efficiently.
Receiving additional funding, Jellinek will now update the e-learning platform and further promote its training courses to improve early detection. For further active rollouts of the module, the focus will be on POH-GGZ and debt counsellors. The efficiency of the e-learning platform will also be evaluated.
Geldfit will allow the public to ask questions about how to handle finances, as well as personal advice, through an online guide based on gambling addiction. The guide will provide information on gambling risk and direct people towards the appropriate help if needed.
Helder Op School is a prevention programme by the Trimbos Institute which addresses topics such as smoking, drinking, drugs and gambling. The programme focuses on encouraging young people to make healthy choices and supports parents and school staff in recognising risky behaviour.
The additional funding will help the Trimbos Institute develop Helder Op School to improve the identification and guidance of risky or problematic gambling behaviour among young adults.
Since each project is in its pilot phase, the funding for each could be extended in the future.