Health West is a committed to a public health approach to gambling harm reduction. We have a position statement on reducing gambling harm and have led projects in gambling harm reduction since 2008.
Reducing Gambling Frequency Project
Photo Courtesy of Frank Di Blasi
The Reducing Gambling Frequency Project partnered with six peak ethnic organisation to reduce senior’s club visits to gambling venues in Melbourne’s North West.
Bilingual staff worked with seniors clubs in their communities, to increase awareness of gambling harm and improve access to alternative recreation.
Partner organisations were Pronia, The Macedonian Community Welfare Association, The Maltese Community Council, Arabic Welfare, MRC Northwest and Co.As.It.
The project was supported by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Prevention Project fund.
Reducing Gambling Harm: A Public Health Approach Training Manual
This training manual is designed to raise awareness and reduce the frequency of gambling in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Victoria. It has been developed to support communities to take action to reduce harm caused by gambling.
Have Fun Without Gambling Posters & Activity Guide
These multilingual posters were developed in collaboration with the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA). For use by senior groups who speak Turkish, Arabic, Greek, Italian, Macedonian and Maltese.
Be social with your group, have fun without gambling
Be social together, have fun without gambling
Community and Planned Activity Group Guide (Pokie Free Alternatives)
Evaluation Report: Reducing Gambling Frequency with CALD Communities – Phase 1 (2015)
View the Executive Summary, the full report.
Working with the Karen community – a resource for service providers
The Karen community are a growing population group in the west. This report, developed as part of a three-year project between members of the Karen community, Gambler’s Help Western, Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health and HealthWest Partnership, explores the strengths, opportunities and challenges for the Karen community settling in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne.
This builds on earlier work with the Karen community that resulted in the A Karen Gambling Story DVD.
This resource aims to support service providers to engage with the Karen community by increasing their understanding of who the Karen people are and their experiences of
- Working with The Karen Community – a guide for service providers
- Working with the Karen community – S’gaw version.
Further Information on Gambling Harm
The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation and the Australian Gambling Research Centre publish research, reports and factsheets on gambling prevalence and harm. Some useful reading includes;
Gambling and Health (2014 prevalence and participation study)
Assessing Gambling Related Harm in Victoria (The Harm Study)
Gambling in CALD Communities Literature Review (AGRC)
Poker Machine Losses by Victorian Local Government Area
For further information on gambling in Victoria, visit the Gambling Information Resource Office (GIRO) webpage here, and sign up for their newsletter here.
If you are worried about the effects of gambling on you, your family or friends, free information and support is available from Gamblers Help. Call 1800 858 858 or visit http://www.responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/getting-help
