The Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria – partnering with the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District – will conduct a Gambling Harm Forum in Shepparton on Tuesday, 27 November.
The Study of gambling and health in Victoria found 70.1 per cent of Victorians gamble, most of whom (82.2 per cent) show no signs of harm from their gambling.
This means almost one in five (around 550,000) Victorians who gamble may be experiencing harm from gambling.
In addition, 2.8 per cent of people surveyed as part of the study reported experiencing harm as a result of someone else’s gambling in the preceding 12 months. When applied to the Victorian adult population, this is around 122,500 people. Of course, this excludes children, who may also be affected by gambling harm.
Given the ripple effect of gambling harm, and recognising it not only affects people who gamble and those close to them, but also the broader community, the Foundation commissioned a major study into the impact of gambling harm in Victoria.
The 2016 study Assessing gambling-related harm in Victoria used a standard World Health Organisation approach to measure the effect of a health condition on a person’s quality of life. The researchers collected information about gambling harm in Victoria and then used findings from our Study of gambling and health in Victoria to estimate the impact of gambling harm on the community as a whole.
The study classified gambling harm into seven broad types:
relationship difficulties
health problems
emotional or psychological distress
financial problems
issues with work or study
cultural problems
criminal activity.
Social Costs of Gambling Harm
Recent research in Victoria demonstrates that the harm associated with gambling is of a “similar order of magnitude” as major depressive disorders and alcohol misuse. The social costs of gambling, including family breakdown, relationship problems, domestic violence, and emotional and psychological distress, depression and suicide, are estimated at nearly A$7 billion per year in Victoria alone.
Potential problems arising from gambling can occur to the individual gambler, their family and friends, and to the broader community.
Another recent study found that on average, every “problem gambler” affects six other people in his or her life. Every “moderate-risk” gambler impacts three others. Even “low- risk” gamblers affect one other person.
Thus, the costs and effects of gambling harm are much more widespread than the gambling industry or some governments concedes. This has also been corroborated by recent research in the UK. Charles Livingstone August 16, 2018 the conversation
Event Details
Program: Gambling Harm Forum
Date: Tuesday, 27 November
Time: 10am – 12 noon.
Location: Masonic Centre, 161 Welsford St, Shepparton
RSVP: Andrew Murley, 5831 2395
More information: 5831 2395
