Released 18/10/2023
This Gambling Harm Awareness Week (16 to 22 October 2023), Canberrans are encouraged to understand the nature of gambling products and to know the signs of gambling harm.
‘Gambling is a big business. Gambling products are increasingly promoted in our everyday lives and often the products are designed to keep people spending. They can also cause significant harms.
‘Gambling harm is about more than just losing money. It can also impact relationships, employment, or study. Harm can be experienced not just by the person gambling, but also by those around them.”
This year’s Gambling Harm Awareness Week activities include the launch of a 12-month campaign to educate about gambling products, the signs of gambling harm and the range of free supports available. A stakeholder forum is also being held to explore the ways that all stakeholders can prevent harm and empower people experiencing harm to reach out and seek support.
“It is important to remember that there are far more important things to life than gambling, including friendships, family, special interests and hobbies, like sport.”
To find out more about different gambling products and how they work and the supports available for anyone impacted by gambling, visit www.everystorymatters.act.gov.au.
If you or someone you know is impacted by gambling, help is at hand. To find support that suits you the ACT Gambling Support Service provides a 24-hour confidential, free services that can assist. You can speak to a support person on 1800 858 858, or for online support go to www.gamblinghelponline.org.au.
The activities for 2023 Gambling Harm Awareness Week are just one way the government is working to prevent and reduce harm from gambling. The Government, together with the Gambling and Racing Commission, is:
- collaborating closely with respective counterparts around Australia on the implementation of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering, including introducing a national self-exclusion scheme known as BetStop in August this year. BetStop allows for anyone to exclude themselves from all online gambling providers licensed in Australia,
- committed to working with community clubs to reduce the number of gaming machines authorisations in the ACT to 3500 by 1 July 2025; and
- building and maintaining constructive relationships among government, industry, help services, and community sector stakeholders.
Quotes attributable to Paul Baxter, Chair of the Gambling and Racing Commission:
“The Gambling and Racing Commission recognises that gambling products can be harmful. It is critical that we stop talking about “responsible gambling” and instead talk about the responsibility we all share to prevent gambling harms.
This Gambling Harm Awareness Week, the Commission is focusing on the role gambling might play in our lives and highlighting the potential risks of harm posed by various gambling products. We hope through this awareness raising that our community is empowered to seek support if they are experiencing gambling harm.”
Quotes attributable to Yu-Lan Chan, CEO of the Gambling and Racing Commission:
“A person can be impacted by gambling harm from another person's gambling, even if they don't gamble themselves.
During the last ACT survey 17,000 adults in the ACT reported experiencing harm from either their own or someone else’s gambling. These impacts include health and wellbeing, relationships, friendships, work and study – not just financial losses.
Different gambling products have different features and some products pose a greater risk of harm than others. Canberrans can explore this by visiting the Gambling and Racing Commission’s website www.everystorymatters.act.gov.au.
If you or someone you know is negatively affected by gambling, free and confidential support is available 24/7.”
- Statement ends -
Shane Rattenbury, MLA | Media Releases