Player protection project “Online Streetwork” started

A few days ago, the new player protection project “Online Streetwork” was launched. The aim of the project is to reach people with gambling-related problems exactly where they can be found more and more often: on the Internet. But how useful is the new player protection project and which people can actually take advantage of the offers of help?

We only reported on the “European Safer Gambling Week 2022” in November last year. On January 16, 2023, the State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria launched an interesting project called “Online Streetwork”. The intention is to reach players with problematic gaming behavior exactly where they now prefer to be: on the World Wide Web.

“Online Streetwork”: Focus on digital help offers

Many people with gambling-related problems still shy away from going to an inpatient addiction counseling center or support facility. For precisely this reason, the State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria, or LSG for short, set up the “Online Streetwork” project. The LSG not only offers comprehensive information material on the Internet, but also smartphone apps, which those affected can use to get help. In an older article, we already tried to answer the question of which players are particularly susceptible to addiction.

The managing director of LSG, Konrad Landgraf, is firmly convinced that addiction help does not only work in private discussions:

“With online streetwork, we can offer people with risky, problematic or pathological gambling behavior a completely new and low-threshold approach. In this way we hope to reach younger people in particular at an early stage. And before they have developed a profound problem.”

How does online streetwork work?

At the start, the team consists of nine social workers with many years of experience in the field of gambling addiction. The employees will not only be active in social media such as Instagram or Facebook, but also in gambling forums. So far, however, we have not been able to locate any employees of the “Online Streetwork” project at Casinova.org. The aim of social educators in gambling forums and social media is to actively engage in discussions, to provide objective information about the dangers of gambling and to build trust. Interested readers can find the profile of “Online-Streetwork” on Instagram here.

The State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria has existed since June 2008. Its task is to coordinate prevention, research, advice and help in the area of problematic gambling. The State Office for Gambling Addiction is financed by the Bavarian State Ministry for Health and Care. Of course, LSG works completely independently and is not bound by instructions.

Conclusion

The State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria launched an attractive project to protect endangered gamblers with “Online Streetwork” on January 16th. The team currently consists of nine experts who will be active on gambling forums and social media to offer their help.

Tip: Help with gambling addiction for those affected, relatives and interested parties is also available on the Internet at “bundesweit- gegen-gluecksspielsucht.de”. Here you can choose whether the consultation should take place online, by telephone or on site.