Provides a public health response to the risks and harms of gambling through community education, community grants, provision of services for people affected by gambling, policy development and research.
http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/gamblingA website addressing gamblers’ misunderstandings about how commercial gambling works.
https://healthworkers.knowyourodds.net.auTasmanian industry data
http://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/liquor-and-gaming/about-us/tasmanian-liquor-and-gaming-commissionInformation on the Commonwealth Government’s responses to problem gambling in Australia.
https://www.dss.gov.au/communities-and-vulnerable-people/programmes-services/gamblingPublications and resources for policy-makers, researchers and professionals in the gambling area.
https://aifs.gov.au/agrcResearch, resources
https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.auProductivity Commission 2010, Gambling, Report no. 50, Canberra.
Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission Annual Report 2016-17
Delfabbro, Paul, Anna Thomas, and Andrew Armstrong. “Observable Indicators and Behaviors for the Identification of Problem Gamblers in Venue Environments.”Journal of Behavioral Addictions 5.3 (2016): 419–428. PMC. Web. 5 June 2018.
McQuade, Anne and Gill, Peter. The role of loneliness and self-control in predicting problem gambling behaviour [online]. Gambling Research: Journal of the National Association for Gambling Studies (Australia), Vol. 24, No. 1, May 2012
Gambling Help Online – Understanding Gambling: Impact on Health: Gambling and alcohol
At Odds: Young Australians Gamble “Hard and Fast”
Thomas, S. and Jackson, A. (2008). Report to beyondblue: Risk and Protective Factors, Depression and Comorbidities in Problem Gambling, Monash University and University of Melbourne; Department of Human Services (2009). Because mental health matters: Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009-19, Mental Health and Drugs Division, Department of Human Services, Melbourne.
Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation – Gen Bet: Has Gambling Gatecrashed our Teens? 2017
Australian Productivity Commission (1999) Australian Gambling Industries, Report No.10, AusInfo, Canberra
Gambling Motivated Fraud in Australia 2011 – 2016 Warfield and Associates
Even though the term ‘problem gambler’ is commonly used in research and other contexts, try to use ‘person with a gambling problem’ instead. The behaviour – gambling problematically – is the issue on which to focus. People have the problem, but they are not the problem. For example, calling someone a “problem gambler” can reduce him/her to one thing: a problem. Describing the situation rather than labelling the person – for example, “someone with a gambling problem” or “someone affected by gambling” – is less blaming and reduces stigma.
Many people in Tasmania don’t gamble at all. Unfortunately, amongst those who do, some develop serious problems.
A person is considered to have a problem with gambling if they have difficulty limiting the amount of money or time spent on gambling and this leads to adverse consequences for them, their family and friends or the community.
Anthony’s gambling problems started with his first bet, when he was 14.
To understand the range of gambling behaviour it’s helpful to think of a ‘continuum’. On one end of the continuum there are people who don’t gamble at all, then there are people who only gamble a little bit, and not very often. Then there are people who gamble regularly and can control how much they spend (lose). On the other end there are people with serious problems with gambling. You can see the range of behaviours and the types of harm on this chart.
‘Liz’ talks about her pathway from social gambling to problem gambling
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Different things influence how a person moves from one level to the next through this continuum, e.g. the person’s knowledge of the risks, the type of gambling product used, personal differences between people, people’s circumstances, and whether they had an early win. People can move in both directions across the continuum – sometimes adjusting their gambling frequency and betting amounts to a safer level, including stopping altogether.
If the gambling is on poker machines, the person can move through this continuum in just a few months due to the high intensity and speed of poker machine gambling, and the way the person can become mesmerised while playing. This can result in them losing track of time and money, which can lead to a gambling addiction.
Thomas describes his pathway into gambling addiction.
As people move through the continuum, they experience an increasing loss of control over their gambling- e.g. more time spent, more money spent, and increasingly gambling alone.
As loss of control increases, harm to themselves and others usually increases also, e.g. going without food, rent and bills not paid.
As the person’s gambling reaches the excessive or compulsive level, the person often has a feeling of being out of control and has some awareness of the harm being caused, but may feel unable to stop. They may also (wrongly) believe that it’s all their fault and that there is no hope.
Chasing losses can lead the person to gamble with more than he or she can afford to lose.
When the gambling is at the compulsive level, the person is usually very distressed and does things which are different to their usual behaviour, e.g. deceiving family and friends, criminal acts and being in heightened emotional states such as being angry, sad and anxious.
A person with a gambling problem often has a compulsion to keep gambling even if it causes problems in their life. Eventually gambling can affect their physical and emotional health, finances, relationships, work and study.
Many people are able to recognise the symptoms of an impending problem and are able to control this compulsion themselves, sometimes with family or community support.
Some people with gambling problems find it difficult to stop and may need to seek professional help before their problem affects their health. With professional help such as counselling people can overcome a gambling problem.
Other people with gambling problems may have a disorder that requires medical attention.
Certain behaviours can indicate a person may be developing a gambling problem. These include:
*It is important to treat gambling problems as soon as possible as there is an increased risk of suicide if the gambling problem is not addressed. If you think your client may be suicidal, ask them directly ‘Are you having thoughts of suicide?’. Current research shows that asking a person directly about suicide will not increase the chances of them doing it. If their answer is yes, connect them to professional help such as Lifeline or Suicidal Call Back Service (refer to the How to Help section). If the person is at immediate risk of harm contact 000. Remember that your safety is important so do not put yourself in any danger when offering to support the suicidal person.
‘Wendy’ realised she had a problem with gambling when she started having suicidal thoughts*
