Any game starts with different social motives or the desire to experiment or maybe make strong impressions - the motivation is different. The stigma that pervades society is that "everybody who plays a game becomes addicted." The person who plays is not necessarily addicted to the game. In many cases they are just for fun. This is evidenced by recent surveys in the country, including Transparency International-Georgia reports.

Often credible media also becomes a source of spreading such stigma. For example, some of the information described in an article published in the online publication Publika is incorrect. According to the author, according to Google Trend, 6 of the 20 most popular search engines on the Internet in Georgia in the last 12 months are online casinos. In fact, according to the total data of 2020, not six, but only one online casino is one of the 24 most frequent search queries.

As for the registration and cancellation procedures, according to the author, the registration and account cancellation procedures are very different from each other, although neither of these is true. The registration process for gambling websites has long been refined. Those wishing to register on the online platform must go through the pre-defined identification and verification procedures, which means that each registered person is obliged to send to the business operator during registration, not only his / her ID card, but also a photo taken with this certificate. It is also mandatory to verify the personal data entered by the player in the relevant state structure, which will allow the operator to know exactly who is actually behind the account registered with them. These procedures will further tighten the control of juvenile involvement and make it more responsible to play online platforms in Georgia.

As for the author's concern that the accounts are not completely disbanded and only blocked, this is due to Georgian law. All business operators are required by the rules for storing player personal data for 3 years, and under the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, they are required to keep the data of each registered person for 5 years. This is due to security objectives. A similar rule exists in almost every country in Europe.

“It is necessary for the population to be properly informed about the risks associated with the game, about what it means to be addicted to the game. Also about the fact that a person who gambles is not necessarily dependent on them. We talked about these topics with psychiatrist Avtandil Vanadze. Avtandil Vanadze notes that not all people who gamble are addicted, "we have to determine from his social attitudes."

"When a person becomes addicted to gambling, his social behavior changes in different directions; Attitudes towards family, society. It should be considered in a complex way, only at a glance and should not be limited to just the game. One of the determinants is socio-economic factors, the pursuit of sudden enrichment. At such times, the family is given the greatest role and responsibility, the worldview of the family, what kind of social culture they were brought up in, what values ​​and education the family has.

During the game, people produce adrenaline, like, for example, "bikers" who develop high speeds, can not we say about these people that they are addicted and should ban motorcycles. It is crucial whether any behavior is mania or falls within the norm. The boundary is crossed, in behavior and attitudes, in specific circumstances and contexts. If a player deduces and shuts down everything because of the game and only the game remains in his life and there is no place for other values ​​anymore, only in this case can we consider his behavior problematic.

There is no qualified research in Georgia, it has never been conducted, I can tell you for sure, people who name specific numbers, talk about the number of people addicted to gambling and talk about research, only spread false information.

Other behavioral disorders, such as shopping, video games, Internet and social networking, all of which cause adrenaline in the human body, are similar to gambling addiction. Also, "bikers", climbers, have who controls how their adrenaline. We can not discuss the game addiction with only one cut and one factor, we can not say that the person who went to play is still addicted to the game. There are no such concepts as harassment, coercion, because the premise of addiction must exist in the human personality and psyche. To say that if the gambling business had been banned, that person would not have become addicted to gambling is wrong. It should be deeply covered and the young person should be informed about what gambling can bring him, the discussion should be open. These conversations should not be turned into arguments, heated confrontations and swearing, which unfortunately happens today. There should be a lot of information about gambling, what is mania and what is the norm should be distinguished.

There is a lot of misconception and stigma attached that if you are addicted to gambling, you should even steal or there is another version that you should have a penchant for alcohol. Such stereotypes are false and superficial. There is also stigmatization of the gambling business itself and the people employed in that business. We must fight against all this with maximum awareness. The public must receive and perceive the information correctly and then the said information must be processed properly. With bans and counter-propaganda, it is impossible to fight gambling addiction in the 21st century.

It is very important that when one side is in a state of aggression and is constantly in a state of slander, the other side, in this case, the representatives of the gambling business, respond with full openness and transparency. It is necessary for the business to participate in financing more research, to open the doors and speak to the public, to explain that it is a normal business and that the purpose of the business itself is not to harm people economically and socially. ''

With all this in mind, it can be said that people who call all players addicted and label them discriminatory only contribute to the spread of stigma. In fact, it is possible for a person to gamble and not be addicted to them. Whether or not periodic play will turn into addiction, as psychologists and psychiatrists say, is a very complex issue and depends on a number of biological, psychological, family and social factors.