Take back control

September is Gamble Aware Month.

Anglicare launches a new gambling harm awareness campaign that encourages people to reach out to the Gamblers Help service and take back control of their life. We also share insights into the wide-reaching impact of gambling harm and personal stories of recovery.

A highlight of the program will be a powerful theatre performance by the Three Sides of The Coin project at the Moonah Arts Centre on 20 September, starting at 11 am. It will be followed by a question and answer session and a free light lunch.

Three Sides of the Coin features performers who share their personal stories of gambling harm. The aim is to start conversations, challenge stigma and build empathy. The goal is to create an environment in which it feels safe for people to reach out for help, either for themselves or a loved one.

Everyone is welcome:  please register here on Eventbrite for catering purposes.

Three Sides of the Coin will also be a part of a ‘Support the Supporters’ luncheon to be held at Rydges Hotel in North Hobart on 10 September. This is a free event that includes guest speakers and opportunities to mingle with people who support a loved ones who have a gambling and/or other addiction. Please register here.

A Support the Supporters high tea at Anvers Chocolate Tasmania in the North West is fully booked.

Poker machine reform is essential

Poker machine gambling remains the most harmful form of gambling in Tasmania, and this harm is increasing. In 2023-24, Tasmanians lost $186.3 million gambling on poker machines. Four in five people seeking assistance from Gamblers Help report poker machines as their primary form of gambling. Compared to 2022-23, the number of people seeking assistance as a result of using poker machines rose by 8%.

Gamble Aware Month is being held as the Tasmanian government prepares to introduce major changes to the way poker machines are used in our State. A universal player card system for poker machines is due to be rolled out by December 2025. It will deliver on recommendations made by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission, following extensive research and consultation, including with the gambling industry.

“The card will help people to control how much they can afford to lose – it will be a game-changer,” says Mary Bennett, coordinator of Anglicare’s Social Action and Research Centre.

“We know that poker machines are concentrated in disadvantaged communities. And we know from our research that the harms from gambling affect all Tasmanians, including those who gamble recreationally and those who don’t gamble at all. We believe that the new card-based systems will save lives.”

More information

Keep an eye on this page as we roll out information and stories during Gamble Aware Month.

Anglicare runs the Gamblers Help service on behalf of the Tasmanian government. It provides free and confidential professional counselling that helps people understand how gambling has taken over their life, and provides them with strategies for taking back control. Gamblers Help counsellors can also refer their clients to other free services provided by Anglicare, including financial counselling and mental health support.

Gamblers Help is available by contacting Anglicare on 1800 243 232.

Anglicare’s What’s the Real Cost? report outlines how the entire Tasmanian community is hurt by poker machine gambling.

A second report, The poker machine card. Simple as outlines the benefits that will flow to all Tasmanians when the universal poker machine card is introduced.