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 be used to update Jellinek for early detection of gambling issues, create a guide for Moneyfit.nl that informs the public on gambling risks and where they can go to get money-related assistance, and develop the Holder Op School program – which provides schools with materials to identify and guide risky or problematic gaming behaviour among young adults.
The VPF, which was established in 2021, is managed by Ksa, who works with the Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport, and Justice and Security to determine how the funds are allocated.
On request of the Ministry of Youth and in order to detect gambling problems early, Jellinek, an addiction agency, developed a digital online gambling education for professionals from the healthcare and business sectors, such as psychologists, POH GGZ and doctors. This education allows these professionals to identify gambling addictions more effectively.
Jellinek, which has received additional funding, will now update its e-learning platform to better detect fraud and promote their training courses. The module will continue to be actively rolled out with the POH-GGZ as well as debt counsellors in mind. Also, the effectiveness of the eLearning platform will be assessed.
Geldfit, an online guide that focuses on gambling addiction, will let the public ask questions regarding how to manage finances and receive personal advice. The guide will give information about gambling risks and point people in the right direction if they need it.
The Trimbos Institute’s Helder Op School program is a prevention program that addresses such topics as gambling, smoking, alcohol, and drug use. The program encourages young people to make healthier choices, and helps parents and teachers recognize risky behaviour.
The funding will be used to help Trimbos Institute create Helder Op School, which is a program that helps identify and guide young adults with gambling problems or risky behaviours.
The funding of each project could be increased in the future, since each is still in its pilot phase.
