Gaming and gambling should not be a money-making habit - Bartolo

Minister Evarist Bartolo, Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera, and Responsible Gaming Foundation Chairman MP Silvio Schembri, launch educational campaign targeting year 4 students.

Responsible Gaming Foundation launching an educational campaign about the dangers of gaming addiciton
Responsible Gaming Foundation launching an educational campaign about the dangers of gaming addiciton

The Chairman of the Responsible Gaming Foundation, MP Silvio Schembri together with the Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo and Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth José Herrera, this morning launched an educational campaign with all year 4 students in Malta and Gozo at the Senglea Primary School.

The Responsible Gaming Foundation is a relatively new Foundation in the Maltese context. The Foundation helps in research, media campaigns and support in areas related to responsible gaming.

Minister Bartolo, stated that as a ministry, they believe in the importance of educational campaigns with school children, which are commonly held. In this case, the issues tackled were responsible gaming and related behavioural addictions.

 The Minister spoke of people who prefer buying lottery tickets or playing bingo rather than buying everyday necessities. “Gaming and gambling should be considered as a leisurely activity and not a money-making habit,” Minister Bartolo continued.

“The Ministry for Education and Employment will be working in close proximity with the Responsible Gaming Foundation so that school children around Malta and Gozo become aware of these issues and of the related behavioural addictions that may eventually arise.”

Parliamentary Secretary Jose’ Herrera added; “Through this educational campaign, year 4 students, attending in more than 100 schools – state, church and private – will have the opportunity to become aware about certain addictions and how to overcome them, including the excessive use of internet and computer.”

Herrera said that year 4 students were chosen for different reasons, such as the fact that at that age students need to participate in concrete activities and play in order to grasp an understanding of how to overcome certain addictions.

“This is the third project launched by the Responsible Gaming Foundation further to the launch of the Corporate Social Responsibility Programme and the Foundation website during late 2014”, said Herrera.  

As Chairman of the Foundation, Silvio Schembri launched the educational campaign, which will be held in all primary schools of Malta and Gozo reaching more than 100 schools and about 3000 students.

“The Foundation was created to help people who are in need of support and those already suffering from gambling addiction, be it the gamer himself/herself or his/her dependants.” said Schembri.

Schembri also said that the foundation would like to help school children to understand the concept of responsibility, especially in areas related to gaming and the usage of internet. He added that embracing this concept would mean students will be able to create the right balance in all aspects of their lives.

“There are a lot of alternative recreational activities apart from internet and computer games. We all need to participate in other activities such as playing an instrument, drama, sports and countryside walks. Everything must be done in a responsible manner,” said Schembri.

Ms Rita Buhagiar, Head of Senglea Primary School, addressed the year 4 students who were also present; “Such educational campaigns are crucial in offering a true and holistic education to our school kids,”

“The school will start offering new and interesting recreational after-school activities in the near future” she said. Mr Clayton Cutajar, Coordinator within the Responsible Gaming Foundation, said that the campaign will focus on the importance of being responsible in whatever we do as from a young age.

“The campaign will also make use of a life-size mascot and it will be creating awareness about certain behavioural addictions that both adults and children alike might become dependent on, such as the excessive use of internet, computer games and other types of gaming” he said.