Football training enhanced with new material by the Responsible Gaming Foundation for 70 Mtarfa boys and girls

Training material was presented to Mtarfa Football Club Youth Nursery by the Responsible Gaming Foundation (RGF), as part of its community outreach work to keep young people away from addictions related to gambling and gaming per se. About 70 Mtarfa children will benefit from a boost in their training, thanks to this new device. This presentation took place in the presence of Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri, General Manager of the RGF Kevin O'Neill, and the President of the Nursery Mr Simon. Spiteri, who in turn, on behalf of the club and the children's parents, thanked them for this assistance, a gesture which, according to the President, will continue to help the nursery strengthen the material used in football training lessons for Mtarfa children.

Minister Schembri emphasized the ongoing work of the RGF to make children and young people aware of the concept of responsible gambling, excessive internet use and pathological gambling in order to prevent certain behaviours which could lead to elements linked to gambling addiction, the so-called Loot Boxes, the mechanism where people spend money on the small chance of winning prizes; ScreenTime, the amount of time spent using a screen device such as a smartphone; or Skin Gambling, which is the use of virtual objects which make it possible to place bets on the result of professional matches or on other games of chance.

Minister Schembri added that while gaming has a number of positive elements, including the application of one's intellect, it is important for our children and young people to be active in clubs, including sports clubs, as well as within their communities, thus maintaining a healthy social life.

To this end, he explained how the foundation will strengthen its work to assist similar organizations to enhance the physical activity services provided to children and youth, this while conveying the message to parents about the importance of time-balance in their children's lifestyle allowing participation in different activities with a view to the best character formation.

On his part, the General Manager of the RGF Kevin O'Neill spoke about the importance of not making this type of game the only priority in the lives of our children and taking precedence over their studies and social life. Explaining how one of the foundation's goals is to provide educational protection for the young and vulnerable, he noted that if an adult feels that he has a gambling problem, he can call 1777 or get in touch through the website www.rgf.org.mt or through the foundation's social pages.​

It-taħriġ tal-futbol għal 70 tifel u tifla Mtarfin imsaħħaħ b’materjal ġdid mill-Fondazzjoni Logħob Responsabbli

Materjal ta' taħriġ ġie ppreżentat lill-Imtarfa Football Club Youth Nursery mill-Fondazzjoni Logħob Responsabbli (RGF) bħala parti mill-ħidma tagħha fil-komunità favur il-ħolqien ta' kuxjenza li żżomm liż-żgħażagħ 'il bogħod minn vizzji relatati mal-logħob tal-azzard u logħob ieħor.  Madwar 70 tifel u tifla Mtarfin se jibbenefikaw minn tisħiħ fit-taħriġ tagħhom grazzi għal dan l-apparat ġdid. Din l-għotja saret fil-preżenza tal-Ministru għall-Ekonomija u l-Industrija Silvio Schembri, il-Manager Ġenerali tal-RGF is-Sur Kevin O'Neill u l-President tan-Nursery, is-Sur Simon Spiteri, li min-naħa tiegħu f'isem il-klabb u l-ġenituri tat-tfal, irringrazzjahom ta' din l-għajnuna. Ġest li, fi kliem is-Sur Spiteri, se jkompli jgħinhom fit-tisħiħ ta' iżjed materjal fil-lezzjonijiet tat-taħriġ tal-futbol għat-tfal Imtarfin.

Il-Ministru Schembri saħaq fuq il-ħidma sfiqa li hemm għaddejja mill-RGF biex it-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ jagħrfu jagħmlu distinzjoni bejn il-kunċett ta' logħob responsabbli, użu eċċessiv tal-internet u logħob patoloġiku, biex b'hekk issir prevenzjoni ta' mġieba li tista' twassal għall-elementi marbutin mal-vizzju tal-logħob tal-azzard, hekk imsejħa loot boxes – mekkaniżmu fejn in-nies jonfqu l-flus fuq iċ-ċans żgħir li jirbħu premjijiet, screentime – l-ammont ta' ħin mgħoddi bl-użu ta' apparat bi screen bħal smartphones, jew skin gambling, li huwa l-użu ta' oġġetti virtwali, biex bihom jagħmlu mħatri fuq ir-riżultat ta' logħbiet professjonali jew fuq logħob ieħor tal-azzard.

Il-Ministru żied jgħid kif filwaqt li l-gaming għandu numru ta' elementi pożittivi, fosthom it-tħaddim tal-intellett, huwa importanti għat-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ tagħna li jkunu attivi fi klabbs bħal dawk sportivi, kif ukoll fil-komunitajiet tagħhom, biex b'hekk iżommu l-ħajja soċjali tagħhom b'saħħitha.

B'dan l-għan, spjega kif il-fondazzjoni se ssaħħaħ il-ħidma tagħha sabiex tgħin organizzazzjonijiet simili jsaħħu s-servizz ta' attività fiżika pprovdut lit-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ tagħna. Dan filwaqt li jingħadda l-messaġġ fost il-ġenituri dwar l-importanza tal-bilanċ fit-tqassim tal-ħin ta' uliedhom f'attivitajiet differenti għall-aqwa formazzjoni tal-karattru.

Min-naħa tiegħu, il-Manager Ġenerali tal-RGF is-Sur Kevin O'Neill tkellem dwar l-importanza li dan it-tip ta' logħob ma jsirx l-unika prijorità fil-ħajja ta' uliedna u jieħu preċedenza fuq l-istudju u l-ħajja soċjali tagħhom. Spjega kif wieħed mill-għanijiet tal-fondazzjoni hija li tipprovdi protezzjoni edukattiva għal dawk żgħar fl-età u l-vulnerabbli. Fakkar li jekk persuna adulta tħossha li għandha l-problema tal-logħob, tista' ċċempel fuq 1777 jew tagħmel kuntatt permezz tal-website www.rgf.org.mt jew permezz tal-paġni soċjali tal-fondazzjoni.​