Stockholm councillor Norma Stephenson has become the spearhead of a new campaign that will ask for more safety nets when it comes to gambling safety. Stephenson’s position comes shortly after she attended a Gamcare presentation dedicated to the topic of problem gambling and how to improve security overall.
The Authorities Alerted
The police and competent authorities have also been stepping up their efforts insofar as reckless gambling is concerned. Stephenson will seek to help those who are already suffering from any form of problem gambling, which is interfering with their private lives.
Stephenson has also insisted that the findings of the report should be forwarded to the competent health authorities as well and health experts should begin to familiarize themselves with the potential drawbacks of the entire segment. Many of the problems at hand can quickly become serious, with people pondering suicidal thoughts or giving in to depression.
The government is now also pushing for a better awareness among people. This being Sweden, one of the proposals is to have people try and help out people if they spot them to be frequent gamblers with reckless habits.
Many of the people who end up turning to Gamcare are in fact at a crisis point in their lives. The problem they have been experiencing with gambling have begun piling on, allowing them little alternative overall. Not only that, but the facts are not any more encouraging – gamers often don’t even reach out for help, which exacerbates the symptoms and overall problems.
The Proposed Solutions
The solutions at hand are many, but they all involve identifying the people who have been afflicted with the illness. The first step is to find them and make them want to be helped. Then a cognitive behavioural therapy may start.
Beyond that, self-exclusion and giving access to one’s money to someone else was also quite helpful. All of these solutions combined can have the desired results.
The downside is, though, that addiction – in any of its forms, is a problem that persists throughout a person’s life. Addicts are constantly struggling to resist temptation. For some, the addiction may be a cure from a trauma, for others, it’s an escape from reality.
Whatever the reasons, entertaining such patterns often leads to poor social performance, which exacerbates further the symptoms of the original pain.
Stephenson has been made aware of these subtler implications. Now, Sweden is moving to take a more united front on the issue. This will involve school leaders, local authorities, police and the gambling commission of the country.
Thankfully, Sweden is not a country to look lightly on matters such as responsible gambling and this is likely to be seen in the response of the commission. Problem gamblers will not be ostracized either. They will be helped and assisted every step of the way instead.
Sweden stands to be one of the most successful partners of Gamcare and the success model may be repeated elsewhere for the greater good of consumers themselves. Ultimately, it is players who matter.
