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by Ken Sanz
High impulses, positive reinforcement and the exciting social atmosphere of gambling lead many people into a whirlpool towards ruin. Excessive gambling can cause havoc in a person’s social, emotional and financial life, causing depression and stress. Some use it as an escape; others seek the “high” of winning or constantly chase large sums of money.
In Australia, the problem is real.
Around 40 percent of Australians gamble regularly and roughly 300,000 of them have significant gambling problems, according to a 12-page booklet titled, “The Facts: Dealing with Problem Gambling,” available on the Australian Salvation Army website, salvos.org.au.
Inside is a list produced by the Australian Government Productivity Commission--—a HARM indicator—that can help individuals signify harmful effects of gambling in their lives. Examples include “gambling has made life less enjoyable,” “you borrow to gamble and don’t pay back the borrowings,” and “you have experienced relationship breakdown because of gambling.”
Embedded in history
Since Australia’s early beginning as a European settlement in 1788, gambling has been a common element in the country. At the time, much of the population were convicts who resorted to gambling to relieve their boredom.
When the colony governments established a federation in 1901, they needed money to provide essential services. In Queensland, the hospitals were funded in part by “Casket” lottery tickets, sold in kiosks throughout the city. The Sydney Opera House was paid for by a series of Opera House Lotteries. Casinos were licensed in every capital city and clubs were encouraged to purchase licenses for poker machines, which eventually were allowed into hotels. Horse betting shops were opened throughout the country.
In a free-market economy, gambling became freely available.
The ease of opportunity to gamble made the urge almost second nature to many. It is not difficult for the compulsive gambler to clear out bank accounts in an effort to “win big.” A rise in major frauds occurred as employees accessed corporate accounts to continue gambling.
With this addiction, the gambler always believes the next bet will be the one that will reverse all of their previous losses.
Working towards recovery
The Salvation Army in the Australia Eastern Territory recognized this addiction and established the Bridge Program, a residential recovery program, in the 1960s.
The Newcastle center was started with state money from the Casino Community Benefits fund, established to provide help services for gamblers. The grant ran for three years, during which the center built a reputation and expertise in helping problem gamblers. At its peak, the center had a caseload of 50 people.
When the New South Wales state government recognized the incidence of problem gambling, the Returned and Services League for war veterans began consultations with the Army about providing services for those who obviously had a gambling addiction. The club offered financial assistance to the Army to set up a counseling service for gamblers in the area. The Sydney Problem Gambling Center opened in 2005 in Fairfield to provide a holistic approach to addiction recovery alongside community resources like Gamblers Anonymous.
Gerard Byrne, recovery services command program secretary, said, “The service is working well using the process of assessment, referral, intervention and longer term solutions.”
The Army’s Salvo Careline answers telephone calls daily between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. so there is always someone to turn to.
The Salvation Army also provided funding to the University of Wollongong to undertake three years of research and evaluation of the Bridge Program, including all addiction services provided by the Recovery Services Command.
The Australian Southern Territory received funding in 1996 for three full-time employees: a gambling psychologist, a financial counselor, and a community education officer. Their service has now expanded to a staff of 16. The service represents the Army with the Interchurch Gambling Task Force.
“The service focuses on strategies designed to reduce desire and behavior and on contextual issues as to why a person gambles,” said Tim McCorriston, manager of the gamblers’ help counseling service. “Education speaks to different groups in the community¾looking for signs of problem gambling, how to de-stigmatize the gambling problems—and promotes early intervention.”
Some corps, such as the Arndale Corps in South Australia, have established gambling help programs to assist their communities as well.
Finding help
Early intervention is key in addressing a gambling addiction. Find out more about the problem, recovery and ways to find help at salvos.org.au.
- Major Ken Sanz is the coordinator for heritage preservation in The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory.
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