The Ministry of Health has published for public discussion a draft ordinance, which establishes a mechanism for financing activities for the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction through a specialized fund. The draft regulates how funds for financing programs and initiatives will be planned, managed, and distributed. The funds from the annual contributions of gambling organizers will be distributed between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. According to the law, their targeted and transparent use will be guaranteed through this fund.
The proposed normative act introduces a clear procedure for applying, evaluating, and financing projects. According to data from the National Revenue Agency (NRA), currently, nearly 50,000 people have voluntarily registered in the register of vulnerable people with limited access to gambling games. The topic is among the priorities of the caretaker Minister of Health, Assoc. Prof. Mihail Okoliyski, and his team. A special section with information on the risks, signs, and opportunities for support in gambling addiction has already been created in the mobile application "eHealth".
The text of the draft Ordinance can be read here. The special section in the "eHealth" application has been available since the beginning of March.