Gambling鈥檚 not a game

Established last year, the Foundation works with a number of groups to anticipate, minimise, and where possible, prevent gambling related harm in Victoria.

This includes health professionals, the gaming industry, government, researchers, community and sporting organisations.

The Foundation also provides a range of services to people affected by gambling, and run community education campaigns to raise awareness and ensure people know where they can get help.

A key undertaking of the CV partnership will be to focus the campaign towards youth at grassroots level.

A voluntary Responsible Gambling Charter has been developed to help sporting clubs take a responsible approach to gambling.

Signing the charter is a commitment to minimising the exposure of gambling activities and advertising to young people, and to raising awareness about the potential risks of gambling in the club community.

When a club signs the charter they will receive:

• A certificate of participation;

• Signage to display in clubrooms; and

• Use of the program logo for promotional purposes such as club newsletters.

CV Chief Executive Officer Tony Dodemaide said the organisation was committed to working with the Foundation to ensure the state’s 1077 cricket clubs take a responsible approach to gambling.

“The issue of gambling and its impact on cricket clubs and the broader community is an issue which requires tackling,” Mr Dodemaide said.

“Cricket Victoria made a stance more than two years ago that we would not accept monies from gambling outlets, and our partnership with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, is a further step in this process.

 “We look forward to working closely with our clubs and associations and helping implement the Foundation’s ‘Gambling’s not a game’ strategy.”

For more information on the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, click here.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS

• One in five adults with gambling problems started gambling before they were 18;
• Three to four per cent of teenagers have problems with gambling.  That’s one in every high school class of 25 students;
• Teenagers are four times more likely to develop gambling problem than adults;
• Boys are more likely to gamble and develop problems than girls;
• Parents’ gambling behaviour and attitudes may influence whether a teenager is likely to gamble before they are 18;
• Spending on sports betting advertising reportedly increased 300 per cent between 2010 and 2012; and
• In 2012, there were reportedly 20,000 sports betting ads on free to air TV.

*Research sourced from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.