Week 1 – Take Back Control

Gambling related harms are the adverse impacts from gambling on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and society.

Gambling-related harm happening in Tasmania falls into three main categories:

• Harm to health – negative mental and physical effects, including psychological and emotional distress.
• Harm to resources – financial impacts such as a reduced disposable income, increased debt, reduced performance and engagement in work and study, and associated criminal activity.
• Harm to relationships – impacts at the social and community level including harm to family functioning, domestic violence and abuse, and impacts on children.

Read more about the wide-reaching harm that gambling can cause in the ‘What’s the real cost? report.

The first and biggest barrier, is the denial, or a belief that gambling is not a problem.  Once this is acknowledged there is shame and stigma attached to gambling addiction that will stop you from asking for help.

Other barriers may include:

• Desire to handle problems themselves
• Not wanting to stop or to give up the (perceived) benefits of gambling
• Difficulty in sharing problems or talking about personal issues
• Lack of knowledge of the help options available
• Concerns about treatment itself

Read about ways that you can talk about gambling with others in our Family Resource Booklet.

Are you worried about the effect sports betting advertising is having on young Tasmanian’s?

Get into the Game aims to reduce the exposure of the community – especially young people – to gambling promotions and to disrupt the normalisation of betting on sports.

Encourage your local sports clubs to sign up to the Get into the Game program.

One way that can assist people experiencing gambling harm will be the new Universal player card gambling system.  This card will deliver on recommendations made by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gambling Commission after extensive research and consultation.