Under Paragraph 35 (24) of Law No 439/2012 Z. z., amending Act No. 171/2005 Coll. on Gambling and amending certain laws as amended and amending the Law of the National Council of the Slovak Republic No. 145/1995 Coll. on Administrative Fees, as amended, which entered into force from 1 January 2013, added a new role to the Department of Health related to the provision of a telephone line to a specialised health institution operating in the field of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of substance and non-substance addictions.
In particular, under that statutory provision, gambling operators are under Paragraph 3 (2) (a). (b), (d) and (e) of the Act, which is required to place in a visible place the telephone number of the specialist health institution active in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of substance and non-substance addictions published by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic on its website (i.e. put an information sticker on the machines containing a telephone number on a free anonymous telephone line established in a specialised medical facility).
Free anonymous helpline for gaming problems
0800 800 900
Working time: Monday Þ Friday 9:00 Þ 17:00 h.
Outside operating hours, a recorder is available.
From February 1, 2013, following the agreement of the Ministry of Health with the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic in the Centre for the Treatment of Drug Addiction on Border No. 2 in Bratislava, a free anonymous telephone line of assistance for problems with playing with nationwide coverage was established in order to provide professional assistance to people who have problems with gambling, their relatives and loved ones, as well as people from professional public.
At 0800 800 900 on working days from 9:00 to 17:00 there is always one trained therapist, an employee of the Center for the Treatment of Drug Addiction. Specialised crisis counseling has been and is qualitatively ensured through the completion of professional training on designated therapists and their further vocational training with participation in domestic and international scientific events.
The basic principle is telephone crisis intervention. The callers are provided with safe space to discuss the problem and emotional support. During the call there is usually an incentive interview, information is provided, whether it is pathological gambling as a disease, its consequences, as well as treatment options. In addition to the above information, relatives and acquaintances are provided with advice on how to proceed correctly in their efforts to motivate a close person for whom they are calling to enter professional treatment for gambling addiction, while at the same time providing supportive psychotherapy in case of established co-dependence. In case of interest, callers are provided with contacts to the nearest specialised departments to which they can contact.
Information about the activities of the nationwide helpline for gaming problems
Since the launch of the telephone line at the Center for the Treatment of Drug Addiction, as of 30 September 2015, there have been 3 270 received calls during the working hours, 5 784 calls and 1,498 messages were recorded outside the working hours in the voicemail. The duration of one call ranges from 10 to 30 minutes on average, except for longer calls. Outside direct contact with call therapists, they listen to messages from the answering machine and process the data related to the activity of this telephone line.
Since the start of the telephone line, the number of patients seeking help for gambling problems has increased by more than one third.
The staff of the Center for the Treatment of Drug Addiction inform the public about the telephone line's activities through the media, as well as annually at press conferences.