The project “Promoting the Mental Health of Children and Youth by Addressing the Risks of Online Gambling and Gaming” is implemented, in cooperation with the European Commission, by the Council of Europe’s Pompidou Group, in line with its revised mandate for addressing Internet-use related addictive behaviours in addition to harmful use of illicit drugs. The project will support national authorities from Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, and Slovenia in enhancing their responses to risks posed by online gambling and gaming among children and youth.

As online gambling and gaming platforms become a popular arena for entertainment and social interaction among children and youth, while acknowledging their place as leisure activities, their potentially harmful impact have been well recognised. This has prompted European countries to step up efforts in providing effective and evidence-informed prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services, in collaboration with academia and industry.

Online gambling and gaming entail different types of risks for young people, with both contributing to mental health issues recognised by the World Health Organization as public health concerns.

The project addresses associated risks and harms to safeguard youth mental health, the importance of which was stressed by the European Commission’s 2023 communication on mental health, the 2022 European Strategy for Better Internet for Kids, and the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027). 

The project aims to contribute to reform efforts of the 9 beneficiary countries on designing/strengthening regulations, policies, and targeted measures to reduce the risks and harms associated with online gambling and gaming which particularly affect younger generations, contributing to their wellbeing and improved mental health.

In this respect, it will provide national authorities with scientific information for designing targeted policies, as well as tools and strategies for implementing concrete actions in the prevention, treatment, and harm reduction fields, including public awareness actions.

Addressing online gambling and gaming will contribute to identifying actions regarding other Internet use-related risks particularly relevant for the young generation and promoting a coordinated approach in a digital Europe.

 Implementing partners:

European Union (DG REFORM), Croatian Institute of Public Health, Cyprus National Addictions Authority, the Government Office of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Interior of Hungary, the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights of Malta, the National Centre on Prevention of Addictions of Poland, the Portuguese Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies, and the Ministry of Health of Slovenia.

 End Beneficiaries: 

Children and young persons who use online gambling and gaming platforms, as well as their parents.

The project outcomes will be pursued through a variety of activities, including the production of a situation analysis of current responses in Europe and globally, as well as of a report reviewing international good practices, the elaboration of a common toolbox of interventions addressing online gambling and gaming, assistance in the drafting of national action plans and strategies or their review, as well as of communication strategies, public awareness actions and the organisation of international exchanges to learn from each other’s experience and expertise. Other European Union and Pompidou Group Member States will be invited into these exchanges.

The project runs for a two-year period, from October 2024 until the end of September 2026.

For more information:

• Project description summary on DG REFORM’s website
• Project Leaflet

This project is co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the European Commission.