New Initiative Seeks to Raise Awareness of Gambling Harm in Queensland

Every month, millions of Australians lose hundreds of millions of dollars to gambling activities such as playing poker machines, also known as pokies, online gambling, as well as keno and lotteries. Residents of Queensland are not safe from excessive gambling and gambling harm, which is why the local government vowed to strengthen its efforts and help raise awareness of the dangers of betting and gambling.

Now, the Palaszczuk Government confirmed a new initiative that seeks to prevent gambling harm, inform bettors that sports can be enjoyed without wagering and promote gambling treatment and support services. The announcement comes during the Gambling Harm Awareness Week in Queensland that runs between July 24 and July 30, 2023. The latest initiative sees the government join forces with Queensland Cricket to help promote support for gambling harm and at the same time, explain risks related to sports betting.

The theme of this year’s Gambling Harm Awareness Week is “Safer gambling, we all have a role to play.” The initiative asks Queenslanders to help reduce gambling harm by discussing the dangers of the activity with their family members and loved ones.

Adam Dale, Queensland Cricket’s general manager, of sales and partnerships, explained: “The Brisbane Heat looks forward to spreading the message about responsible sports betting through the WBBL and BBL competitions this season.” He pointed out that families from around the state will attend Heat matches which will help raise awareness regarding gambling harm. Finally, Dale said that it will be incredibly important for the cricket club to help educate fans about the dangers of sports betting and the need to make responsible decisions regarding gambling.

Lawmakers in Queensland Plan to Decrease Problem Gambling

Leanne Linard, Queensland’s acting attorney-general and minister for justice, explained that the new collaboration with Queensland Cricket aims to encourage sports fans, regardless of their age, to enjoy games without wagers. “I am a big fan of sport, especially women’s sport and it’s fantastic to see Queensland is hosting some of the FIFA Women’s World Cup games,” she said, while explaining that it is worrying to see young people overspending on sports betting.

Linard outlined that the latest initiative is a part of the Palaszczuk Government’s plan to decrease excessive gambling and gambling harm in Queensland. Finally, she acknowledged that the local government plans further initiatives that seek to tackle gambling harm.

“In 2021, the Palaszczuk Government released a four-year Gambling Harm Minimization Plan 2021-25 that sets out our goals to reduce gambling harm in Queensland. Today’s partnership announcement with Queensland Cricket aligns with our Plan and is just one of the ways the Palaszczuk Government is playing its role in tackling gambling harm.“

Leanne Linard, acting attorney-general and minister for justice in Queensland

The collaboration between the local government and Queensland Cricket comes at a time when approximately 70% of the adults in the state gamble. In the last year, Queenslanders lost some AU$6 billion ($4.1 billion) to various gambling activities. Moreover, recent research in Queensland also uncovered a worrying trend among young people. The probe found that young people, aged 14 to 25 years, identified that sports wagering was a part of the state’s culture.