German regulator ramps up collaboration with state-run addiction services
GGL chairman Ronald Benter meets with the State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria as the two bodies aim for greater coordination when tackling gambling addiction
Representatives from the German gambling regulator, the GGL, and State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria (LSG) have pledged to deliver a “more intensive exchange” between the pair.
GGL chairman Ronald Benter met with LSG managing director Konrad Landgraf in Bavaria in the first of a series of scheduled meetings as the regulator looks to step up its efforts to tackle gambling addiction across Germany.
The GGL is planning to work with the responsible gambling (RG) sector to exchange ideas on “gambling law issues and aspects of addiction prevention” as well as “jointly develop approaches for intensified cooperation”.
During the meeting, Landgraf explained the gambling addiction prevention work the LSG currently carries out in the state, and how the office coordinates with the addiction support network on offer in Bavaria.
The two parties also discussed the online addiction support platform Buwei.de, used by all state coordination offices and run by the LSG.
The anonymous platform offers information about gambling addiction counselling centres across various states, acting as the first point of contact for those suffering from gambling-related harm.
Following the meeting in Bavaria, Benter is also scheduled to visit the State Office for Gambling Addiction of the Addiction Cooperation North Rhine-Westphalia in October to meet with its director Verena Küpperbusch.
A joint meeting for all the representatives of the various state gambling addiction offices is also scheduled to take place in the autumn.
The annual anti-gambling addiction action day, organised by the federal states, will also take place on 25 September.
Benter suggested that liasing with the state services will help the GGL gain a greater understanding of the problem at hand.
He said: “It is crucial for us to hear the perspectives of all relevant interest groups and to get a comprehensive picture of the situation.
“Player protection and raising public awareness are high priorities for us. Through thematic exchange with the state coordination offices, we are further expanding our expertise.”