The Greek government is intensifying interdepartmental cooperation to comprehensively address the issue of gambling addiction. Recently, the Greek Gambling Supervision and Control Commission (EEEP) and the National Health Quality Assurance Organization (OHQA) officially signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at jointly conducting prevention and treatment actions for gambling addiction.
This agreement marks the first strategic collaboration between the two major institutions in the fields of public health and regulation, with the aim of advancing intervention measures based on science to reduce the social and economic burden of gambling addiction. Both parties will work on educational campaigns, early interventions, clinical support, and family assistance through a coordinated mechanism, strengthening Greece's institutional safeguards in the responsible gambling sector.
EEEP Chairman Dimitris Ntzanatos stated, "We are pleased to embark on this cooperation with OHQA. Our goal is to break down bureaucratic barriers, integrate professional strengths, and bring substantial solutions to the problem of gambling addiction."
According to the agreement, OHQA will be responsible for implementing the three-year cooperation plan, which will be supervised and evaluated by a coordination committee jointly established by both parties. OHQA CEO Christos Nestoras noted, "We aim to build a modern framework based on scientific evidence and humanitarian care, effectively responding to the public's health needs."
The achievement of this cooperation coincides with EEEP's advancement of the "Gambling Observatory" plan. This new institution will utilize artificial intelligence and big data analysis technologies to monitor gambling behavior trends in real time, providing data support for policy making, public alerts, and academic research.
EEEP previously stated, "The newly established research and advisory department will be a highly transparent and independently operating unit, composed of distinguished researchers with international foresight. Its independence and scientific nature will ensure that its research results have broad impact and practical guidance value."
As the Greek gambling regulatory system undergoes modernization upgrades, the government is establishing a more robust support for the sustainable development of the gambling industry and public health protection through cross-sectoral collaboration.
