Problem gambling concerns the Czechs

The number of gambling addicts has considerably risen over the last year according to the National Centre for Drugs and Addictions Monitoring.

Problem gambling is one of the major hurdles the gaming industry has to develop its operations as Governments voice concerns on the impact of the activity on the population. In the Czech Republic, according to the National Centre for Drugs and Addictions Monitoring, the number of gambling addicts has reached up to 120k in 2016 and lost US$1.77 billion to gambling machines, online gambling and betting.

According to the study, a total 500k people may have had gambling related problems in 2016 and their average gambling debt reached US$54k, doubling the 2015’s average. Numbers have considerably peaked after registering 440k problem gamblers and 100k addicts in 2014.

As shown by a survey, 4 per cent of men and 0.8 per cent women may be problem gamblers and about 10 per cent of the addicts are underage.

Gambling addiction treatment centres are scarce and self-help organisations had to emerge as there are now two in Prage and one in Brno. If the Government really wants to tackle the issue, this situation needs to be reversed and action should be taken in order to prevent people to fall to their addictive tendencies.