Training material was presented to Mtarfa Football Club Youth Nursery by the Responsible Gaming Foundation (RGF), as part of its community outreach work to keep young people away from addictions related to gambling and gaming per se. About 70 Mtarfa children will benefit from a boost in their training, thanks to this new device. This presentation took place in the presence of Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri, General Manager of the RGF Kevin O’Neill, and the President of the Nursery Mr Simon. Spiteri, who in turn, on behalf of the club and the children’s parents, thanked them for this assistance, a gesture which, according to the President, will continue to help the nursery strengthen the material used in football training lessons for Mtarfa children.
Minister Schembri emphasized the ongoing work of the RGF to make children and young people aware of the concept of responsible gambling, excessive internet use and pathological gambling in order to prevent certain behaviours which could lead to elements linked to gambling addiction, the so-called Loot Boxes, the mechanism where people spend money on the small chance of winning prizes; ScreenTime, the amount of time spent using a screen device such as a smartphone; or Skin Gambling, which is the use of virtual objects which make it possible to place bets on the result of professional matches or on other games of chance.
Minister Schembri added that while gaming has a number of positive elements, including the application of one’s intellect, it is important for our children and young people to be active in clubs, including sports clubs, as well as within their communities, thus maintaining a healthy social life.
To this end, he explained how the foundation will strengthen its work to assist similar organizations to enhance the physical activity services provided to children and youth, this while conveying the message to parents about the importance of time-balance in their children’s lifestyle allowing participation in different activities with a view to the best character formation.
On his part, the General Manager of the RGF Kevin O’Neill spoke about the importance of not making this type of game the only priority in the lives of our children and taking precedence over their studies and social life. Explaining how one of the foundation’s goals is to provide educational protection for the young and vulnerable, he noted that if an adult feels that he has a gambling problem, he can call 1777 or get in touch through the website www.rgf.org.mt or through the foundation’s social pages.
