Responsible Gambling Awareness Week

Responsible gambling awareness week is held annually in May and focuses on the promotion of responsible gambling and services that assist people with problem gambling issues throughout Australia.^[1][2][3]

Events

Events for the week are typically organised at a local level and have been hosted and supported by local gambling venues, local councils, problem gambling services, local libraries and educational institutes.^[4][5] Events can include morning tea, lunch, talks from gambling help agencies and former gamblers, giveaways and displays in public spaces.^[6][7][8]

Partners

A steering committee made up of members of the following organisations helps to guide and support Responsible Gambling Awareness Week:^[9]

• Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group
• Community Clubs Association of Victoria
• Crown Melbourne
• Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria
• Gambler's Help Services
• Interchurch Gambling Taskforce
• Primary Care Partnerships
• Tabcorp
• Tatts Group
• Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre
• United Voice
• Victorian Commission for Liquor and Gambling Regulation
• VicHealth
• Victorian Local Governance Association
• Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation

Partners of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation:

• AFL Victoria
• Collingwood Football Club
• Melbourne Victory Football Club
• Netball Victoria
• Kangaroos South Melbourne Football Club

Responsible Gambling Awareness Week supporters:

• Australian Human Resources Institute
• Australian Institute of Family Studies
• Racing Victoria

Criticism

Responsible Gambling Awareness Week has received criticism for being a way to deflect attention from the more pressing issues within the gambling industry, such as the amount of revenue generated from Poker machines.^[10][11] Both Tim Costello, Chairman for the National Churches Gambling Taskforce, and Dr Charles Livingstone, Senior Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University have criticised the week for involving rather than opposing the gambling industry.^[12][10] In 2013, Dr Livingstone pointed out that Responsible Gambling Awareness Week website^[13] had provided links that took a user directly to the websites for TabCorp, Tatts Group and Crown Casino.^[10]

References

1. "Responsible gambling awareness week". Parkes Champion Post. Fairfax Regional Media. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
2. Fullerton, Georgia (30 May 2013). "New hope for problem gamblers". AltMedia. Alternative Media Group Australia. Alternative Media Group Australia. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
3. "Welcome to Responsible Gambling Awareness Week 2014". Responsible Gambling Awareness Week. Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
4. "Dubbo plays host to responsible gambling campaign launch". Daily Liberal. Fairfax Regional Media. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
5. Herbert, Harry (23 June 2014). "Poker machine industry must come clean". The Newcastle Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
6. "Events". Responsible Gambling Awareness Week. Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
7. Walker, Chris (21 May 2013). "Lifeline Harbour To Hawkesbury hands out fortune cookies with gambling message at Gordon station". North Shore Times. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
8. "Cookies can help gamblers". Wellington Times. Fairfax Regional Media. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
9. "Our Partners". Responsible Gambling Awareness Week. Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
10. Mark, David & Simon, Lauder "'Responsible Gambling' week under attack", 20 May 2013, Retrieved 16 September 2014
11. Draper, Michelle (15 May 2010). "Costello slams responsible gambling week". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
12. Rodda, Simone. "Mechanisms Contributing To The Maintenance Of Problem Gambling". Culture and the Gambling Phenomenon.
13. "Indibet Responsible Gambling". Indibet. 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2022-04-26.

External links

• Sports Toto
• Topical Sport