As part of the youth gambling prevention program Who Actually Wins?, a training session for new program facilitators was held in Zenica from September 23 to 25, 2025. Employees of the Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica, as well as the School Hygiene Service, expressed interest in the prevention programs implemented in schools by the Professional Center. After completing the training, they officially became facilitators of this program.

The training team consisted of associates from the Addiction Prevention Competence Centre, along with external collaborators trained to implement the Program and conduct training for trainers. During the three-day training, 22 participants were educated. They were introduced to the program manual, which provides a detailed outline of workshops designed for working with young people, as well as to the theoretical foundations addressing gambling issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond.

Topics covered included behavioral addictions, the gambling industry, exposure of children and youth, consequences of gambling, and other key content relevant to working with young people.

The Who Actually Wins? program has been implemented by the Addiction Prevention Competence Centre since the 2021/2022 school year in Canton of Sarajevo, and since the 2023/2024 school year in Tuzla Canton. The program was originally intended for high school students, but field experience has shown that it would also benefit ninth-grade primary school students. With the authors’ approval, its implementation will soon begin with this age group as well.

The program’s objectives include increasing young people’s knowledge about games of chance, enhancing their socio-emotional skills, and promoting responsible behavior when engaging in gambling activities.
The intensive three-day training prepared facilitators for both theoretical and practical work with youth.

Ajna Maličbegović