Exclusive: Mr Green to open problem gambling clinic
Operator has formed partnership with CBT specialist to build facility in Stockholm.
Casino operator Mr Green is to open a problem gambling clinic in Stockholm, eGaming Review can exclusively reveal.
Set to be the first such facility opened by an egaming operator, ‘The Green Clinic’ will be wholly funded by the Malta-licensed company, which will also fund the research on which its treatment is based.
The operator has been discussing the initiative for almost a year and has recently agreed a partnership with a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) research organisation.
Mr Green co-founder Mikael Pawlo told eGR that once the clinic has opened, other operators could be invited to invest in and throw their weight behind the project.
Pawlo said the company was taking a “very scientific approach” to opening the clinic and the treatment it will offer. “There are lots of clinics for problem gamblers but very few are based on science,” he said.
“Very few use scientific evaluation points throughout the treatment and many can be short in theory. After all this is a very complex diagnosis we are talking about.”
Pawlo said the move reflects the company’s stance on social responsibility. “Our philosophy is that we are providing entertainment but of course some people are at risk from that, and we need to embrace and address that problem. We believe we should try as much as possible to clean our own back yard,” he said.
“It might be another year until it becomes a reality as we want to go about this in a very scientific way. I am currently working on the business case internally – clearly this idea is not one that will make sure money so I have to convince the board that it is something we should be doing.”
Mr Green has been shortlisted for Socially Responsible Operator of the Year at this year’s eGR Operator Awards, to be held at London’s Roundhouse on Monday 26 November.