Safer Gambling Week 5-11 October 2020

The National Betting Authority is organising for the 3rd consecutive year the Safer Gambling Week (SGW) which will be held from the 5th until the 11th of October 2020. The SGW aims to inform the public and raise awareness, as well as involve and mobilise all stakeholders regarding safer gambling and protection of wider society from any harmful consequences of gambling activities.

The launch of the week will be marked by the 3^rd Safer Gambling Conference. During the week, there will be various activities and events such as workshops, interactive games, presentations, training seminars, and more in all districts in the Republic.

The SGW’s objective is to inform the public on safer gambling practices, self-protection measures that players can set for themselves, as well as treatment centres and facilities for gambling disorder. The week aims to communicate that gambling should remain a fun activity for those who decide to participate in any gambling activities.

The ultimate goal of the Safer Gambling Week is to become a platform for discussion and constructive dialogue between various stakeholders of the Cypriot society and the gambling industry regarding safer gambling practices, and eventually become a cross-industry and community wide institution where it will get people talking about safer gambling: gambling venues staff, players, family, friends, wider community.

The theme for the 3rd Safer Gambling Week is “Let’s keep it a game”. Safe participation in gambling implies that the person who decides to gamble, will do so without putting in risk himself or those around him.

The agenda for the SGW 2020 will be announced soon and will be updated frequently. More information on the week and its activities can be found at www.sgw.cy

This year, following international best practices and the suggestions of the scientific community, the Authority has decided to proceed with the rebranding of Responsible Gaming to Safer Gambling. The focus on safer gambling promotes a new understanding of the responsibility of the state and gambling operators and providers to enhance player’s protection mechanisms. The idea of “Responsible Gaming” suggests that the players is primarily responsible for protecting himself. This prevailing view, although correct, should be revised and used in a broader sense. The notion of “Safer Gambling” emphasizes that in addition to individual responsibility, there is a clear responsibility of the state and its institutions, as well as gambling operators and all stakeholders involved.

More information on safer gambling can be found at the website www.safergambling.gov.cy

The Authority informs the public that, all the activities of the Week will be carried out in accordance with the directives and the decrees of the Minister of Finance for containing the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus disease

Let’s keep it a game!