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Community programs to reduce gambling harms

Workshops, activities and education sessions to raise awareness of gambling harm, reduce stigma, and support safer communities — with a focus on those most at risk.

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About the programs Venue support Contact us

Community engagement

Our health promotion workers deliver education, workshops, activities and professional development to raise awareness of the harms that can be caused by gambling and to destigmatise help seeking. We focus on minimising gambling harms in disadvantaged groups and communities.

Our team supports local community members by:

raising awareness of the types of harm people can experience from gambling
Raising awareness of the help services and supports available for those affected by gambling
providing education to minimise the harm caused by gambling
promoting the range of Gamblers Help services and available resources
reducing stigma and barriers to seeking help.

School Education Program

Gambler’s Help Northern’s free School Education Program is offered to students, teachers, and parents at local high schools. The sessions draw on the latest research and aim to raise awareness of gambling harm and available support services.

Our Be Ahead of the Game program includes 3 education sessions for high school students:

Know the Score – an introduction to gambling, advertising, the connection between gaming and gambling, and how sports betting has been normalised.
When Gaming Meets Gambling – a closer look at the blurred lines between playing games and gambling. Students explore the gambling elements in the games they or their peers are playing. They also learn about how what’s happening in their brains while gaming can keep them playing for longer.
Your Money Matters – explores the fundamentals of financial literacy including budgeting, credit cards and loans, and how to make wise money decisions.

Find out more about each session.

Sessions for students, teachers or parents are available face to face or online. We can run sessions in Banyule, Darebin, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, Hume and Melton.

Venue support

We support the gaming industry to continue developing responsible gambling practices and environments.

Our team can help venues fulfil their responsibilities to:

identify and respond to patrons displaying signs of gambling harm
raise staff awareness and encourage referrals to Gambler’s Help services, self-exclusion programs and other community support services
meet the requirements of their Responsible Gambling Codes of Conduct
create and maintain responsible gambling environments
complete their Responsible Service of Gaming (RSG).

Our Venue Support program also offers training on topics such as Gambler’s Help service overview, self-exclusion, YourPlay, drug affected patrons, EGM operations, gambling and mental health, identifying and responding to the signs, responsible gambling documentation and self-care.