The Icelandic Interest Group of Gambling Addiction – IIGGA – was founded on the 28th of September 2019 by a group of people who all have an experience of gambling addiction, either as patient or relative.
It is our believe that much more can be done regarding education about the disease, preventive measures and last but not least about treatment for those individuals who have this disease and their relatives.
We have all experienced the disastrous effect of this disease and want to do what we can to prevent others from it, help other patients and their relatives to deal with gambling addiction, help them understand it and help them to believe that it is possible to live a good life even though you are a compulsive gambler.
According to old written documentation gambling has been part of mankind for a long time. An evidence of its harmfulness can be found in old Roman law prohibiting gambling within the walls af ancient Rome.
It is not our goal to make gambling illegal. That is not a practical goal. But when we take into consideration the results from multiple researches, which have shown that 2 – 3 % of the population is either a compulsive gambler or in danger of becoming one, we think it is only proper to restrict access to gambling and limit the awareness of gambling in Icelandic society – expecially towards youngsters and preferrably to reduce the supply of gambling.
Our experience has shown us that far gone compulsive gamblers are far more likely to commit suicide. We all know someone who ended their life – purely because of gambling. That is the main reason why we believe that access to gambling should be restrained – even though the profits go to a beneficiary cause. Is any cause worth risking someones life for it?
An Icelandic songwriter wrote „Nothing is so bad that it does not bode well.“ The same can be said about the sickness Compulsive Gambling, because one can keep it at bay and with correct measures gain a better life than if the sickness were non existent. That‘s what many of us have been so fortunate to experience and want to help others to realize.