The Norwegian gambling helpline will be run by the addiction support group Bla Kors from next year.
Norwegian Lottery Authority has appointed the organisation to run the call center from the beginning of 2024. Bla Kors will replace Sykehuset Innlandet which, earlier in the year, announced that they no longer wanted to run this service.
Bla Kors provides treatment in three major cities. The services are focused on treating money addiction and computer games. Blue Cross Gambling Addiction will be the new name of the organization, which covers both the helpline for gambling addiction and the remote treatment.
Existing staff will likely continue to run the helpline from Hamar.
Trine Stensen is the secretary-general at Bla Kors. She said, “Blue Cross’s extensive experience includes gambling addiction, and we would like to extend our work on this issue.”
According to the Norwegian Lottery Authority, 23,000 Norwegians suffer from a gambling addiction. In 2022 there were 825 phone calls to the helpline, an increase from the year before.
The Norwegian Lottery Authority’s Lars Petter Degnepoll said, “The Helpline is a low-barrier offer that players and their families can take advantage of.”
The helpline is a great way to start overcoming the issue. Blue Cross is experienced in dealing with gambling issues and can take on the responsibility of running this helpline.
