*********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee:
The large-scale territory-wide anti-football promotional campaign led by the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee (PWFAC) and co-organised by the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) and the Police has been concluded. Under the slogan "Lead a Healthy Life, Don't Gamble", the Ping Wo Fund Anti-Football Gambling Promotional Campaign 2014 enhanced public awareness of anti-gambling messages through a series of activities at district level and in schools across the territory during the World Cup 2014 period.
The Chairman of the PWFAC, Dr Yau Wing-kwong, said, "The anti-football gambling promotional campaign gained support from more than 70 partner organisations funded by the Ping Wo Fund including social services organisations and schools. More than 100 activities were held and they attracted about 290 000 direct participants."
The spokesman for the HAB said, "We attached importance to fighting gambling problems during the World Cup period and therefore launched the campaign as early as April. The PWFAC co-ordinated and supported the publicity events held by its partner organisations at district level and social service organisations. The campaign created an impact and brought together partners to establish a joint promotional network to successfully promote anti-gambling messages to more than a million people."
He also said, "The Government will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach, including regulation, enforcement, public education, treatment and support, to prevent and alleviate problems relating to gambling. We are grateful that the treatment and counselling centres enhanced their hotline and counselling services particularly during the World Cup period and took part in the promotional campaign. The Police also strengthened enforcement during the period and took actions against a number of cross-border illegal gambling activities, leading to the seizure of betting records amounting to several hundred million dollars."
Dr Yau added, "Looking ahead, the Ping Wo Fund will make reference to the successful experience of this campaign and continue to co-ordinate and support the promotion work of our partner organisations to raise public awareness of gambling problems. We will also enhance the counselling and treatment services for compulsive gamblers and their families through funding to counselling and treatment centres for people with gambling problems."
Members of the public seeking assistance on obsessive gambling or wishing to report illegal gambling matters may call the Ping Wo Fund Gambling Counselling Hotline 183 4633 or the Police Reporting Hotline 2727 7887 respectively. The details of the Ping Wo Fund Anti-Football Gambling Promotional Campaign 2014 are listed in the Annex.
The Government established the Ping Wo Fund in September 2003 to finance preventive and remedial measures to address gambling-related problems. The major ambits of the Ping Wo Fund are to finance the following measures:
* research and studies into problems and issues relating to gambling;
* public education and other measures to prevent or alleviate problems relating to gambling; and
* counselling, treatment and other remedial or support services for problem and pathological gamblers and those affected by them.
Ends/Friday, August 29, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:38
NNNN
