New courses providing education and research on responsible gambling, preventing, and reducing harm

Deakin University received funding from the Responsible Gambling Fund Trust to develop two new online prevention courses addressing public health approaches to preventing gambling harm in NSW and understanding gambling harm in NSW.

Course 1 – Public course

Understanding gambling harm in NSW is designed to provide a practice-driven approach to understanding and managing the risks and harm associated with gambling.

Course 2 – Professional course

Public health approaches to preventing gambling harm in NSW is designed for practitioners to educate on the risks and harms associated with gambling, the significance of gambling as a public health issue and ways to manage the impact of gambling at an individual and community level.

Find out more information below.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/understanding-gambling-harm/3

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/public-health-approaches-preventing-gambling-harm/2

Addressing gambling harms experienced by female, concerned significant others

This project will investigate the extent and type of gambling harm partners of people with gambling problems experience and assess their service needs. The aim is to develop an evidence-based digital infographic for support network use. The primary outcome being to attract female clients to engage with relevant services.

Grant amount: $43,508

Using technology to reduce gambling harm in NSW Aboriginal communities: an ICT health promotion randomised control trial

This project tested and evaluated evidence-based measures to address the negative impacts of gambling through the implementation of a health promotion framework to develop and trial an ICT (Internet and Communication Technology) App in NSW Aboriginal communities.

Grant amount: $325,000

Funded under the 2018 RGF grant round 

This project was discontinued in December 2021

Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic Website development and evaluation for self-directed multiple gaming venue self-exclusion

Self-exclusion can help individuals restrict their access to gambling, however, relatively few problem gamblers utilise this tool. The project will develop and evaluate a website that will enable gamblers to self-exclude from multiple gambling venues. Online self-enrolment is expected to enhance self-exclusion uptake and subsequently reduce gambling-related harms.

Grant amount: $176,464

Animation series educating young people on responsible gambling

This project delivers a suite of animations aimed to increase awareness and understanding of young people, enabling them to make informed choices around gambling participation and the associated risks and harms. The project’s co-design process involves students in the target demographic to design animations that will be relevant and effective.

Grant amount: $99,315

Virtual Assistant (Chatbot): Facilitating Screening, Responsible Gambling Messaging, and Referral

This project aims to improve the accessibility of the existing content available on the NSW Gambling Help (GambleAware) website. It will create an engaging multiparty software platform and virtual assistant (chatbot) to provide contextualised question-answering, interactive screening, personalised responsible gambling messaging, and facilitated referral for gamblers and their families and friends.

Grant amount: $110,000

Development and evaluation of just-in-time intervention apps to reduce gambling harm, providing ‘in-the-moment’ support for gamblers

This project aimed to provide ‘in-the-moment’ assistance to people who want to change their gambling behaviour. It was designed to develop and evaluate the first just-in-time interventions to reduce gambling harm for problem and at-risk gamblers. Delivered by smartphone and tailored to individual needs, these interventions provide support whenever it is needed.

Grant amount: $436,932

Funded under the 2018 RGF grant round

‘Yarning Up’ sessions for the local Aboriginal community in Wardell

This project aimed to provide ongoing positive activities for men and women in the community as an alternative to engaging in drug/alcohol and gambling issues. The project provided Yarning Up sessions for social, financial and emotional wellbeing. The Yarning Up sessions provided opportunities to be mentored by older people in the community who have life experiences such as domestic violence, gambling and other social issues.

Grant amount: $5,000

Funded under the 2018 RGF grant round

Expansion of the ‘Consumer Voices’ project to the South West Sydney and Hunter/Newcastle regions

This project developed a Consumer Voices project for the South West Sydney and Hunter/Newcastle regions NSW. This program used the lived experience of gambling harms through personal narratives to deliver community education sessions to reduce stigma/shame and promoted understanding of problem gambling, early intervention and access to support services.

Grant amount: $151,800

Funded under the 2018 RGF grant round

Pilot a decentralised legal service integrated within a responsible gambling hub

The project provided an opportunity to trial a regional Gambling Help legal service. It provided an opportunity to contrast the centralised service model. It also provided an opportunity to explore the most effective and cost-efficient service model.

Grant amount: $28,055

Funded under the 2018 RGF grant round

Adding the gambling help telephone number to ‘Special Cards’, and associated outreach in the Maitland area

The Special Cards were professionally designed fact sheets that provided contact details of the Gambling Help Line that gamblers, family and friends could take away with them. On the back of the card the corporation displayed 10 handy numbers with the Gambling Help Line number being one of them.

Grant amount: $1,360

Funded under the 2018 RGF grant round

Roll-out of a gambling specific Mental Health First Aid program in NSW

Develop an integrated model for gambling help screening and referral in the Fairfield LGA that is scalable across NSW