MR WATT ASKED THE MINISTER FOR TOURISM AND FAIR TRADING (MR LAWLOR) —
QUESTION:
Will the Minister advise whether the government’s responsible gambling strategy is helping to reduce problem gambling in our community?
ANSWER:
The Government believes that the Queensland Responsible Gambling Strategy has been instrumental in reducing Queensland’s problem gambling prevalence rate. The strategy outlines the Government’s public health approach to addressing the issue of problem gambling.
This public health approach incorporates prevention, protection and rehabilitation initiatives. In implementing the strategy, the Government has supported a range of activities that focus on preventing the development of gambling-related problems, encouraging help seeking, and providing assistance to those that are already experiencing a problem with gambling.
Prevention initiatives include the Responsible Gambling Community Awareness Campaign, which primarily targets low to moderate risk gamblers and the "Wanna Bet" Campaign, which primarily targets problem gamblers. Early intervention, which includes strategies for identifying the early signs and symptoms of problem gambling, has also been prioritised in the strategy. The Queensland Responsible Gambling Code of Practice encompasses a number of practices that aim to maintain responsible gambling behaviours and minimise the potential for the progression to problematic gambling behaviours. Rehabilitation initiatives delivered through the Gambling Help Services System also aim to ameliorate problem gambling and its impacts.
Results from the latest Queensland Household Gambling Survey indicate that Queensland’s public health approach has been effective in maintaining low levels of problem gambling in our communities.
Problem gambling prevalence rates in Queensland have reduced from 0.83 per cent 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 0.37 per cent.
