Caritas, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Zion Social Service and the Lutheran Social Service have been selected to run four counselling and treatment centres for problem and pathological gamblers.

The Home Affairs Bureau conducted an open tender exercise for the centre's service contracts in mid-2009 as the original contracts expired today.

According to new agreements, the centres run by the newly selected organisations will start operations January 1. They will provide counselling and treatment services for problem and pathological gamblers, and their families.

The four centres are financed by the Ping Wo Fund and the level of fund support will rise to $11 million each year.

Caritas and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals will operate two centres in Tsuen Wan and Wan Chai for a term of four years. Zion and the Lutheran Social Service will run another two centres in Kwun Tong and Tai Po for three years.

Under the new terms of service, the four centres will strengthen their public education programme in schools to enhance students' awareness of problem gambling.