Greece’s gambling regulator partners with health authority to tackle addiction
Greece’s gambling regulator is intensifying efforts to tackle problem gambling through a new partnership with the country’s top healthcare authority.
The Gaming Supervision and Control Committee (EEEP) and the Health Quality Assurance Organisation (OHQA) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The two have an aim of promoting joint actions to prevent and treat gambling addiction.
The EEEP and OHQA said the collaboration is a response to the growing need to address the social and economic impacts of addiction. Experts will seek to do so through scientifically documented interventions and social support actions.
The EEEP and OHQA will cooperate on goals related to the prevention of addiction and promotion of responsible gaming. They will work together to ensure timely interventions, support treatment and assist individuals and their families who are facing problems.
Dimitris Ntzanatos, the EEEP’s president, said: “It is with great satisfaction that we inaugurate our new collaboration with OHQA. We are delighted that we will be given the opportunity to achieve, through our coordination, the utilisation of know-how and the avoidance of bureaucratic obstacles, effective solutions to a problem with significant social and economic impacts.”
The OHQA will implement the memorandum over a three-year period, with a joint coordination committee overseeing its operation.
Christos Nestoras, OHQA’s chief executive, said, “The Memorandum of Understanding aims to deepen cooperation with the EEEP. The formation of a modern and functional framework based on scientific documentation, respect for citizens and practical support for those in need is a common goal of our bodies.”
Gambling Observatory to be established in Greece
The EEEP signed the memorandum just weeks after outlining plans to establish a Gambling Observatory.
The observatory will have the ability to utilise technologies such as Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. It will also provide access to data for the continuation of scientific research. The public and institutions will be informed about potential new risks from gambling.
An EEEP spokesperson said in a statement at the time: “The creation of a new organic unit in the EEEP, with a research and advisory nature, structured with high standards of transparency and staffed by scientists of recognised prestige, represents a pioneering approach at an international level. Independence, objectivity and flexibility will be the fundamental characteristics of its operation, ensuring the credibility and effectiveness of its interventions.”