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Wednesday 8 February 2012

CLUBS LAUNCH ONLINE SUPPORTFOR PROBLEM GAMBLERS

With just the click of a button, problem gamblers living anywhere in NSW will be able to usea secure website to ban themselves from their local clubs.

Roll-out of the online technology commences today on the NSW Far North Coast withtraining for club staff and local gambling counsellors.

The technology allows problem gamblers to complete a legally binding self exclusion

document in the presence of a gambling counsellor or a trained facilitator at their local club.Previously the individual had to visit each club individually.

Additionally, the problem gambler can now choose to ban themselves from multiple clubsrather than the time consuming process of visiting each venue and repeating the processtime and again.

Problem gamblers are provided with the following self-exclusion options:

banning from the club

banning from any area of the club with poker machines

banning from any area of the club where gambling takes place such as pokermachines, Keno and ClubTAB.

Development of the multi-venue self exclusion system will be expanded across the Stateover the next 12 months and comes after 18 months development by ClubsNSW.

The rollout of the program follows a 6 month trial of the online system in 51 clubs in BrokenHill and the Central Coast. The respective trials were overseen by counsellors employed byLifeline and UnitingCare Unifam.

The online system the first of its kind in Australia will be provided to NSW clubs andgambling counsellors to assist their clients free of charge.

ClubsNSW CEO Anthony Ball said self exclusion in combination with counselling is the bestway of helping problem gamblers beat their addiction.

During the 6 month trial 136 problem gamblers chose to ban themselves from a combined569 clubs in Broken Hill and the Central Coast. Under the previous system, it could havetaken weeks or even months for a problem gambler to visit each of those clubs and informthe staff they wanted to be banned from gambling.

Self exclusion was introduced by clubs and hotels in NSW in 2000, with an estimated 3,000people opting to ban themselves from a club or hotel each year. Clubs and hotels aresubject to significant financial penalties if they knowingly allow a person to breach their self-

exclusion.

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For some people, the time, effort and emotional investment needed to make multiple visitsto a club is overwhelming or just too difficult to go through with.

This scheme eliminates those barriers, and also provides an option for problem gamblers toavoid gaming venues altogether by completing the procedure at the office of a certifiedgambling counsellor.

Previous studies have indicated that 90% of problem gamblers would prefer to self-ban from

multiple venues in one go. This technology allows that to occur as well providing them with

the choice of deciding if they want the counsellor to notify nominated family of their gambling

addiction, Anthony Ball said.

ClubSAFE Manager and gambling counsellor Rowan Cameron says that although self-

exclusion is by no means a miracle cure-all for problem gamblers, its a highly effective tool

providing a disincentive to re-enter the gaming environment, especially when utilised in

conjunction with individual counselling.

An independent assessment by Macquarie University concluded that self exclusion servicesare profoundly valuable in assisting problem gamblers. Findings include:

88% of surveyed participants found the self-exclusion program to be satisfactory fortheir needs;

76% of surveyed participants found themselves financially better off afterparticipating in the self-exclusion program;

65% cited significant improvement in their personal relationships as a result ofparticipating in the program;

More than 70% reported significant reductions in the money spent on gambling as aresult of participating in the program.

The Minister for Gaming and Racing Minister George Souris and the Office of Liquor,Gaming and Racing have been updated regularly on the progress of the trial of multi-venueself exclusion.

Training in the use of the technology for the States almost 250 Government fundedgambling counsellors has commenced and will be completed as the program is introduced intheir respective regions.

Media: Jeremy Bath 0419 267 789