Southport MP. MP for Southport, Gold Coast. Peter Lawlor: peterlawlor.com.au

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Queensland 4215
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email: southport@parliament.qld.gov.au


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Queensland Responsible Gambling Strategy in reducing gambling-related harm
Posted by editor (editor) on Jul 22 2010
2010 >>

Asked on 10 June 2010

MR RYAN ASKED THE MINISTER FOR TOURISM AND FAIR TRADING (MR LAWLOR) —

QUESTION:

Will the Minister advise the House of the outcomes of the review of the Queensland Responsible Gambling Strategy in reducing gambling-related harm in Queensland?

ANSWER:

The Queensland Responsible Gambling Strategy contributes to the minimisation of gambling-related harm through the implementation of a coordinated range of prevention, protection and rehabilitation initiatives that aim to ensure:

the community is informed and aware of the impacts of gambling;

safer and more responsible gambling environments are provided; and

people adversely affected by problem gambling have access to appropriate treatment and support that is equitable, accessible and culturally appropriate.

In April 2008, the Government announced an evaluation of the strategy to measure its success in achieving its goals and to ensure the Government’s commitment to minimising harm from gambling is appropriate and responsive to the needs of Queenslanders.

The evaluation is the first since the Government launched the strategy in 2002. The evaluation examined the extent to which progress has been made towards achieving strategy outcomes.

The evaluation report, which was released in April 2010, highlights the effective partnership between community, industry and Government that has resulted in the implementation of a wide range of harm minimisation activities.

The strategy has resulted in the implementation of communication and awareness activities targeted at recreational gamblers as well as people at risk or affected by problem gambling. The Responsible Gambling Community Awareness Campaign, first launched in April 2005, aims to prevent problem gambling and develop the ability of regular gamblers to engage in responsible gambling behaviours. The campaign won the Australian Marketing Institute Award for excellence in social marketing. A refreshed campaign ran from October to November 2009 and January to February 2010.

Ensuring gambling environments are safe and supportive has also been a continued focus under the strategy, particularly through the Queensland Responsible Gambling Code of Practice. The Code of Practice was launched in 2002 and is a voluntary, whole-of-industry approach to the implementation of venue-based practices that contribute to responsible gambling environments. The collaborative and participatory approach used in the development of the Code of Practice has been heralded by a number of stakeholders as a best practice model.

Under new funding arrangements for support services for problem gamblers, approximately $4.9 million is being provided annually to fund: 14 face-to-face Gambling Help services operating from over 30 sites, a residential treatment program, 24 hour telephone and online counselling and support services. New Gambling Help services opened in Bundaberg and Longreach in July 2009.

As a result of the evaluation of the strategy, the Government will commence revising the strategy to ensure that it continues to deliver effective gambling harm minimisation initiatives. The Government will also continue to examine effective ways to respond to problem gambling in Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

As part of the process of evaluating the strategy, consultation with key stakeholders across Queensland and experts in the field was conducted. Feedback obtained during the evaluation indicates that the majority of stakeholders view the strategy positively.

Overall, the Government believes that Queensland is heading in the right direction in minimising gambling-related harm under the strategy. Results from the latest Queensland Household Gambling Survey demonstrate a steady fall in problem gambling prevalence rates in Queensland from 0.83 per cent of the adult population in 2001, to 0.55 per cent in 2003-04, and to 0.47 per cent in 2006-07. The latest survey conducted in 2008-09 shows a further reduction to just 0.37 per cent.

Last changed: Jul 22 2010 at 12:23 PM

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