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Gamble Aware Week is from the 18 to 24 October 2021 and the theme this year is Talk.Share.Support.
During the week we encourage people to talk about the harms associated with gambling and the effects they can have on communities, families, friends, workplaces and individuals.
Gambling harm doesn’t just affect people financially, it can affect self-esteem, relationships, physical and mental health and a person’s social life.
This week we focus on personal stories of recovery, share hope and optimism, and look to reduce the stigma associated with gambling that prevents people from seeking help.
We’re pleased to be hosting Gamble Aware Week for the 2nd year running.
Anglicare’s event theme is ‘Talk.Share.Support’ and this year we’re raising awareness of gambling harm through open, honest conversation.
The week will kick off with a family fun day in the North West. Participants will gather with their local community at neighbourhood houses across Tasmania. The week will culminate with the launch of a 100 Day Challenge, encouraging participants to take a break from gambling for 100 days.
Below you will find facts about gambling harm, resources to help break the habit, and shared client stories and videos about the dangers.
Thank you to those with lived experience who have taken the time to be interviewed.
Noel Mundy
General Manager – Housing and Community Services
Anglicare, in conjunction with Relationships Australia Tasmania, will be having 3 Family Fun Days across Tasmania.
Come along to speak with local service providers and listen to information sessions including financial wellbeing.
Each event will culminate with a barbecue.
For more information on these events, please call 1800 243 232 or visit the Facebook events below.
Below are some facts about sports betting and gambling you may not know.
Gambling affects people across all age groups, gender and social demographics.
Gambling harm (which is different to a casual turn on the pokies or a flutter on the horses) can see family relationships suffer and people unable to afford to eat or heat their homes.
Research shows that people will seek help for a drug use issue before they will seek treatment for gambling related harm. The earlier you have a conversation around someone’s gambling the less likely they are to develop a more serious form of gambling harm.
Historically, people spend more money gambling on the AFL Grand Final than the Melbourne Cup.
Did you know that people living in Victoria actually get an extra two public holidays each year? The Friday before the AFL Grand Final (24 September) and the Melbourne Cup (2 November).
In 2019, each month well over half a million Australian adults placed a sports bet. That’s over 574,000 Australians gambling!
This makes sports betting the 5th most popular form of regular gambling.
So who are these regular sports bettors?
They are males (88%) aged 18-49 (75%) who work full time (70%).
When compared to the rest of the Australian adult population, regular sports bettors were:
Regular sports bettors who reported they had experienced gambling harm were:
In 2019, Australians spent approximately $579 million on sports betting each month.
This means that in 2019, a typical sports bettor spent an estimated $1032. When we factor in all gambling activities, this increased to $2305 per year.
Did you know that between 2018 and 2019, the amount of money spent on sports betting grew by 15.3%?
Spend on betting increased from $921 million to $1.062 billion.
This makes sports betting the fastest growing gambling market across Australia.
Research has shown that use of sports betting apps such as Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and bet365 place users at a higher risk of experiencing gambling harm.
It is estimated that for every person experiencing gambling harm another 7 people are adversely affected.
Emotional effects:
Psychological effects:
Financial effects:
Did you know many people who gamble say it’s to avoid 'boredom' and 'stressful situations' in their lives? Learning to deal with grief, stress or even boredom is a skill. With practice, people can get better at how they deal with these situations.
Knowing how to deal with these emotions in a healthy way, and having a variety of activities to keep you busy, can help keep a person avoid gambling harm. Below is a list of activities that you can use to stop gambling. Identifying activities that you enjoy and making time for them can help replace the desire to gamble.
From book clubs to fitness groups or crocheting classes, engaging in new activities with new groups of people is a great way to fill the void left while in recovery from problem gambling.
New people will bring new conversations and new friendships, which may lead to other new hobbies or interests.
As you start recovery from gambling harm, you may be humbled by the need for help, but you can still be helpful to others.
Volunteering is a fantastic way to take your mind off of yourself, and think more positively as you begin helping others.
Learning any language will occupy your time while you’re learning, and will improve your brain’s ability to change.
Trying to change habits (like staying in recovery from gambling harm) means trying to change the way you feel, and, therefore, changing the way your brain works.
Find creative activities that you enjoy and start doing them.
From drawing to model building, any type of activity that forces you to think outside your own comfort zone, forces you to focus your attention on something other than gambling.
Start with any recipe and enjoy the process from getting the produce to sitting to eat the final product.
Cooking takes practice, and while you’re cooking, you’ll receive the benefits of smelling all the healthy produce.
Healthy food makes a healthy mind, and a healthy mind produces happier hormones to help you feel better.
There are so many great physical activities to engage in, but the important thing is to have fun.
What all physical activities have in common is they release healthy happy hormones, increase healthy circulation of blood to the brain, and build self-esteem.
The 100 Day Challenge is a flexible program designed with the help of professionals to give people the support they need to reduce the harm gambling may be causing in their lives. And it’s all done anonymously.
Whether it’s wanting to simply cut back on gambling, take a break or stop permanently, the 100 Day Challenge is a great resource. People can set individual goals, get support and advice, discover new activities or chat to others who are also up for the challenge.
For support or more information contact us at GamblersHelp@anglicare-tas.org.au or on 1800 243 232.
Download the 100 Day Challenge App
This Gamble Aware Week we are proud to announce the launch of our new Gambler’s Help Family Resource Booklet.
If you are a friend or family member who is supporting someone with a gambling problem, this resource booklet can help you identify:
You can also call us on 1800 243 232 to speak with one of our counsellors.
Download Family Resource BookletEach edition is filled with what we hope will be useful information and tips perfect for sharing with the wider community. Every article has been put together and selected by our amazing team of counsellors. And don’t worry, we'll try not to clutter up your inbox, this newsletter is scheduled to only be sent out quarterly.
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