The Gaming Commission last Tuesday organised a sensitisation training for students of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) to raise their awareness about mental wellness and gaming addiction.
The exercise was meant to educate students on the negative impact of gambling addiction and its associated mental health implications on an individual’s wellbeing and educational aspirations.
The interactive training, which saw students seeking answers on how best they could refrain from gambling or engage in responsible gaming, was organised in collaboration with the Mental Health Authority and the Gaming Licensed Operators.
Ambassadors
Addressing the students, the acting Commissioner of the Gaming Commission, Emmanuel Siisi Quainoo, said the exercise was aimed at educating students to become ambassadors against gambling addiction.
He said while gaming was an entertainment, young people must be regulated to prevent them from suffering from its associated addiction.
“We are trying to educate students to become ambassadors against gambling addiction and spread the message to other young people against irresponsible gambling,” he said.
Disturbing letters
Mr Quainoo The commissioner expressed over the alarming rate gambling addition had become a major concern to the Gamiing Commission.
He explained that on a daily basis, the commission received a number of letters from people, especially women, who wanted to be self-excluded from gambling.
“As a commissioner, at least I get self-exclusion letters six times a week and this makes gambling addiction an issue that we all have to come together.
“You may think you do not gamble so it does not bother you but somebody closer to you like a child, a mother, a husband or even your wife will be sitting somewhere gambling without your knowledge,” he said.
To curb gambling addiction, he said the commission had teamed up with Gaming Operators to raise awareness about gambling addiction to students in tertiary institutions.
He pointed out that worldwide gaming operators were mandated to help in the fight against gambling addiction, thus spending huge sums of money to do accomplish that.
“The gaming operators are more than willing to partner with us to fight the addiction because they may also have their relatives suffering from gambling addiction. So, it is a win-win situation,” he said.
Urging the media to help in abating the alarming rate of gambling addiction, he said “we need to do this because a gambling addicted person is harmful to society”.
Rehabilitation centre
On efforts being made to rehabilitate persons addicted to gambling, Mr Quainoo said the commission currently referred those struggling with gambling addiction to seek professional counseling and support to reform.
He, however, indicated that the commission would soon set up a specialised rehabilitation centre to aid people seeking help to reform.
“So, thinking has crystalised towards establishing our own gaming rehab centre and we have had a series of meeting and we have selected a town in Kumasi where such facility will be cited for people to go for counselling, treatment and rehabilitation,” he said.
Seek professional help
Taking the students through mental health implications of gambling addiction, a Psychiatrist, Dr Daniel Adjei, who works with the Pantang Mental Hospital, advised students to engage in responsible gambling or refrain from it.
He said gambling had caused some students to use their school fees to gaming, exposing them to associated anxiety, depression, self-isolation, loss of jobs, relationships and having by suicidal thoughts.
“We are advocating that when people start seeing these signs, reach out for psychological as soon as possible and they may talk to mental health professionals on how to quit,”
