Filenews 27 June 2023 - by Despina Psilou
Cyprus ranks third in Europe in terms of students' involvement with gambling, while at the same time there is an increase in their involvement with the internet.
Gambling, especially online gambling, as well as the need to protect children from addiction through the adoption of a legislative framework, were discussed yesterday in the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament. As pointed out, in many cases parents encourage their children to gamble or offer them cover and means for online gambling. In other cases, school boards organize tombola for their financial support, giving the wrong signals.
On his part, the Executive Director of the Cyprus Addictions Authority (AAEK), Constantinos Stylianou, noted that there are worrying data in the last pan-European survey of 2020 in relation to minors and all legal substances (alcohol, hookah and e-cigarette smoking, gambling), which have age restrictions. AAEK, he said, treats addictive behaviour holistically and not on a substance-by-substance basis. However, he said, in the last year there has been no application for the three programs offered in Cyprus. She also clarified that due to her young age, it is difficult to register addiction.
On behalf of the National Betting Authority, Ioanna Fiakkou said, among other things, that a block list was created, which included 18,238 pages that operated illegally online in 2023, and that training seminars were held for betting companies. On the contrary, she noted, there are 12 companies that operate legally online, adding that there is an improvement in the know-how of the companies that operate. "There is illegality, but it is very limited compared to the previous seven years," Fiakkou said.
She expressed her opposition to the organization of tombola by the School Boards, indicating that the conduct of this game should be regulated. In addition, she said that the betting advertising code is regulated, based on investigations that have been conducted. The goal, she explained, is to strike a balance between the viability of online gambling companies and the protection of players. The annul turnover of the sector, as she clarified, is around €1 billion.
Acknowledging that adults are engaged in gambling, she underlined that there are actions as well as a strategy to achieve in the long term to reduce pathological gambling.
For her part, Elena Papamichael, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education, pointed out that there are protocols for referring students to treatment centers and that the Pedagogical Institute's 1480 hotline for reporting addiction incidents is operating.
Doris Camara, on behalf of the Mental Health Services, highlighted that there is an increase in young people's involvement in online gambling, as it is more accessible, cheaper, anonymous, free and can be done from home or school. Many times, she continued, parents know but find it difficult to respond to cases of their children's involvement with computer games.
The pandemic also contributed to this, she explained. At the same time, she stressed that there is an increase in children's engagement with the internet and that their parents are complacent because they see their children inside their home.
On behalf of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children's Rights, it was recommended, among other things, to develop digital literacy programs for parents and children on the use of the Internet, to conduct information campaigns, to create specialized intervention programs.
