Combating Pathological Gambling

Combating Pathological Gambling

T his is very serious. Pathological gambling is an illness that has been recognised by the World Health Organization since 1992. This addiction was previously recognised by the name of “compulsive gambling”.

Pathological gambling is the cause of major personal, family and social problems, and one of the major scourges that any business involved in gambling must combat.

This is why La Bruixa d’Or, my lottery outlet, reaches out its hand to any organization dedicated to combating pathological gambling, and, most particularly, it gives talks in schools aimed at stressing youngsters’ responsibility in relation to gambling, alcohol and drugs (three of the decisive patterns of behaviour at this age).

My friend Xavier Gabriel goes to classrooms with a positive attitude, with no desire for publicity, and on a totally altruistic basis. He talks to the students and aims to set out life’s priorities, which never include gambling. The lottery is a means for channelling enthusiasm and seeking out luck. But obsession is the worst way to find luck.

Actually, the National Lottery has managed to create a healthy gambling habit, thanks to its form of passive gambling, without the immediate results that could lead to repetitive gambling. On the other hand, games considered active – casinos, fruit machines – with immediate results, lead to compulsive gambling, and may be a factor in this pathology.

In any case, we cannot deny that a very small percentage of lottery fans could in some way become addicted to gambling, and we have to combat this with all our means. I’m not going to allow it! This is why, at our lottery outlet, we are the first in giving an example to our friends. We want to generate that sparkle of enthusiasm to improve the lives of our friends, and we avoid any behaviour that could lead to addiction.