Of the total number of clients who were admitted to the Public Institution "Kakaricka gora" in Podgorica five years ago, less than a fifth were people who sought help because of gambling problems. By September 2024, among the clients of "Kakaricka", almost half of those who are undergoing treatment for addiction to gambling.
Although the state does not have a registry of gambling addicts, the government claims that they recognize the problem and that the steps they are taking "ultimately lead to the closure of betting shops."
"We believe that the problem of gambling addiction in Montenegro is much bigger and that the number of gambling addicts is increasing year by year, as evidenced by the data we have as an institution," they told "Vijesta" yesterday from the "Kakaricka gora" JU. , headed by Marko Čađenović.
According to the statistics submitted to the editorial office, in 2019, there were 53 admissions at that institution, of which ten clients were with gambling problems, which is 19 percent of the total number of those who received treatment at "Kakaricka" that year.
A year later (2020), in the year of the coronavirus epidemic, there were 18 people undergoing addiction treatment at that institution. Seven of them are undergoing treatment for gambling addiction, which is 39 percent of the total number of clients.
Next year (2021), that percentage will be slightly lower - a total of 35 clients, eight gambling addicts, or 24 percent of the total number. After that, that number is constantly increasing. In 2022, out of the total number of clients (33), 30 percent (10 people) are those who are being treated for gambling addiction, in 2023, 49 clients were being treated in "Kakaricka", of which 39 percent (19 people ), because of the cube. This year, until September, 21 people were admitted to "Kakarick" for treatment, and 43 percent (nine) of them requested help because of gambling problems.
"It is clearly seen that there is a high number of gambling addicts compared to addicts of psychoactive substances (including alcohol)," said the institution yesterday.
NOT ALL ADDICTS SEEK HELP
The Montenegro Bet Association announced recently that Montenegro is "at the very bottom of the European list of gambling addicts".
They also stated that, according to the data of the "Kakaricka gora" JU, "only 13 persons who are being treated for addiction to games of chance" are currently registered in Montenegro.
The institution confirmed to "Vijesta" a few days ago that they currently have 13 clients due to problems with gambling addiction, but they also said that this number is "worrying":
"This number of clients who have a gambling addiction and sought help in our institution is worrying because the percentage of clients who had this problem was much smaller, so in previous years, in the total number of our clients, we had an average of three to five percent, today it is a significantly higher percentage. We cannot talk about precise numbers when it comes to the number of gambling addicts in the general population in Montenegro, because there are no studies that we could rely on," they told "Vijesti" earlier.
And yesterday, with data on the number of clients of that institution in the past five years, they reiterated that position.
"We cannot talk about the number of gambling addicts based only on the number of people who come to the Public Institution for help, because there is also a significant number of those who do not seek help from us. Montenegro does not have a registry of gambling addicts and there are no studies based on which we could provide precise data on the number of gambling addicts in Montenegro, but what we can say with certainty is that the number is certainly not 13, but many times higher. , they state in the letter they submitted to the editorial office yesterday.
MISLEADING CITIZENS
As they added, they distance themselves "from allegations and organizations that use the data of public institutions in a way that misleads citizens that this problem is smaller than it actually is."
"The attitude of the management and the professional team and our efforts have recently been aimed at limiting the advertising and advertising of betting shops and casinos and regulating it by law in a way that does not mislead young people that it is a form of entertainment that does not carry any consequences. Gambling is a problem that often remains hidden, but its consequences are deep and long-lasting. Young generations are especially vulnerable, and that's why prevention is key", they state from "Kakaricka" and add that "it is a problem that can destroy dreams, cause serious emotional and psychological problems, and reverse life trajectories that have just begun".
"Many young people, looking for a quick thrill or an apparent way to solve their problems, enter the world of gambling, not realizing how easy it is to lose control. For many young people, it soon turns into an addiction, which can destroy their lives. According to research, the earlier a person starts gambling, the greater the chances are that he will develop problematic or pathological gambling in the future", said the "Kakaricka gora" JU.
The Special Psychiatric Hospital "Dobrota" in Kotor and the Association for Democratic People recently told "Vijesta" that it is not known how many people are addicted to gambling in Montenegro, because there are no studies conducted in the general population, on the basis of which such data would be available. prosperity (ADP) WALL, within which the "Entera" Counseling Center has been operating since 2013, for people who gamble at a pathological level.
The Ministry of Health and the IJZ did not respond to the questions of the newsroom on this topic either earlier or in the meantime.
"Vijesti" published a similar text at the end of February, when the Clinic for Addiction Diseases in Belgrade said that an average of one patient per month comes to them from Montenegro, and that the majority are young people aged 18 to 30.
"GAMBLING ONLY IN CASINOS OF FIVE STAR HOTELS"
At the end of last year, there were 1.000 registered betting shops, 153 slot machines, three casinos and one lottery in Montenegro.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Nick Djelosaj, announced last year, during the formation of the Government, that the Albanian Forum would demand the complete closure of casinos and betting shops. He said at a press conference yesterday that "steps taken by the Government in the betting sector will ultimately lead to their closure".
"I think that this should be the policy of the state in the future, after which gambling would only be possible in the casinos of five-star hotels," he said.
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