Campaign Encourages South Australians to Act Early on Gambling Harm

The government of South Australia has unveiled a new campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with gambling and the impact playing without moderation may have on people’s finances, relationships, and mental health.

The initiative seeks to address Australia’s disconcerting gambling ham rates and encourage players to address gambling harm before it is too late.

Early Intervention Is Critical

The Spot the Harm, Stop the Harm campaign is led by the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Gambling Harm Support SA division and champions early intervention rather than treatment. According to the campaign, it is crucial to prevent low-risk individuals from turning high-risk by addressing early markers of harm.

Spot the Harm, Stop the Harm seeks to raise awareness of the importance of addressing harm before it becomes serious and affects people’s lives. To that end, the campaign encourages both gamblers and their loved ones to remain vigilant and address harm once the first signs have been identified.

The campaign comes at a challenging time as Australia struggles with high problem gambling rates. Studies furthermore show that problem gambling affects not only the person experiencing the harm but their loved ones too. According to statistics, 14% of Australian adults are at some level of gambling risk, while 1.2 million adults are affected by a loved one’s gambling.

If You Can Spot the Harm, You Can Stop the Harm

Spot the Harm, Stop the Harm will employ an omnichannel approach, launching ads across TV channels, broadcasting services, radio programs and digital media. In addition to that, the campaign will reach people via billboards and other out-of-home ads to ensure that South Australians are aware of the risks associated with gambling.

The campaign sports a variety of slogans encouraging players to rethink how they approach gaming. These include the likes of “If we say sport, do you think ball or bet?” and “If we say pub, do you think parmies, or pokies?”, among others.

In addition to that, video adverts feature people experiencing signs of harm. These include a distressed man looking at his bets during a business meeting, a mother coming home late because of gambling, and a nervous man watching sports in a pub.

The ads remind players that if they spot the harm, they can stop the harm.

Helping Australians Understand the Risks

Nat Cook, South Australia’s minister for human services, noted that, unfortunately, harm is not always about the money and, worst of all, is not always obvious. She said that problem gambling can impact Australians’ work performance, relationships and mental health even long after the gambling has ended.

Cook said: “Spot the Harm, Stop the Harm is a bold step towards ensuring South Australians understand the risks and seek help when they need it.”