Hope for Children and Cyprus’ National Betting Authority have joined forces to create a safety net to help protect children and adolescents from gambling activity.

A memorandum signed by the two on Thursday also aims to educate youngsters so as to pre-empt a problematic relationship with gambling in the future.

In an announcement Hope for Children said that its cooperation with the National Betting Authority includes important, innovative actions aimed at children and teens to prevent and deal with a pathological involvement with betting.

Emphasis will be given to children acquiring skills to protect them against any form of addiction. The Education Ministry has already approved the educational actions to be carried out in schools.

Hope For Children director Joseph Borghese told a joint press conference that formalising cooperation with the authority was a milestone for the NGO, as an independent authority governed by values ​​such as commitment, compliance, respect, integrity and reliability, would be supporting its work.

Humanitarian division director Andria Neocleous said it was important for Hope for Children to find supporters for its vision to promote and defend the rights of children.

President of the National Betting Authority Ioanna Fiakkou said the agreement would tap on the synergies of the two bodies in support of a shared vision to prevent gambling addiction.

Noting that betting is prohibited for people under 18, she added: “We are convinced that we will achieve our objectives and successfully implement a prevention programme among children and youngsters which will contribute positively to society.”

Representatives of the two bodies also agreed on the need to implement more preventive and educational programmes for children on a wider basis and on the importance of children having access to various tools for assistance on a 24-hour basis.