Northern Rivers Gambling Service

In order to achieve a marked and sustained reduction in the incidence of problems related to gambling in the northern NSW, the Northern Rivers Gambling Service is working with the Australian Hotels Association to promote the practice of Self Exclusion from local gambling venues. The way this joint project works is that any client may ask a counsellor from NRGS to arrange for them to self-exclude. The AHA has undertaken to meet costs involved for such a problem gambler to meet with a local participating solicitor in order to sign and have explained the terms of the Self Exclusion Deed. The AHA then distributes the client's photograph and details to the nominated gaming venues from which the client wishes to be self-excluded.

NRGS has found that the practice of Self Exclusion works well in the Northern Rivers region due in part to the lack of public transport which has the effect of limiting the number of gambling venues that gamblers can freely access. The NRGS is able to liaise with local gambling venues to ensure that employees are familiar with the process of self exclusion and to identify any problems arising from this process.

The Northern Rivers region is a favoured holiday destination for a diverse population of travellers. Much of the region is reliant on the hospitality industry, with residents tending to be either self-employed or employed on a casual basis by businesses catering to tourists.

The resultant shift work, ready access to cash and transient population provides opportunities for problem gambling to develop and continue.

The factors are perhaps reflected by the type of client presenting for counselling with NRGS over the past year. It is interesting to note that - where as 18% of clients reported experiencing problem gambling for a period of one year or less, 50% of clients reported experiencing long-term problem gambling in excess of six years. 45% of all clients reporting their total financial losses due to problem gambling to be in excess of $50,000.

All in all, a diverse and unique population in which NRGS operates, providing treatment, rehabilitation and support to gamblers and their families.

A Profile of Problem Gambling Clients in Regional NSW

Barry Evans, Yvonne Corrigan, Jeremy Buultjens, John Haw, Nerilee Hing and Helen Breen

The Buttery is the largest provider of drug and alcohol and gambling services based in the Northern Rivers region. The Buttery operates on a not for profit basis and became incorporated under the Anglican Church of Australia (Bodies Corporate) Act 1938 in 1990. It began as a youth refuge and drop-in centre in 1973 and received its first government grant in 1978.

The Buttery consists of 3 distinct services:

1. a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre operating as a therapeutic community;

2. INTRA - an outreach drug counselling and education service

3. Northern Rivers Gambling Service - an outreach gambling counselling and education service

Northern Rivers Gambling Service provided a counselling service for a total of 407 clients between 24 November 1999 to 13 April 2004 - 354 were problem gamblers and 44 were partners of gamblers.

NRGS database statistical analysis for this period (24/11/99 -13/04/04) indicated a significant difference between

Age/sex of clients with the average age of male clients at 39.48 years and the average age of female clients at 45.24 years.

Marital status of clients with 32.1 % of clients married and 68% of clients not married. (38.1% single, 14% divorced, 8% de-facto, 7.7% separated).

Main Income of clients with 50.9% on a pension/benefit; 21.9% full-time employed; 18.7% casual/part-time employed; 5.8% dependent on others. This percentage of Pensioners is significantly disproportionate to the actual number of Pensioners in the general population of the Northern Rivers region.

Sex/length of Time that Gambling had been a Problem with Male clients reporting their gambling had been a problem for an average of 11.54 years and Female clients reporting their gambling had been a problem for 7.66 years.

Sex/average gambling losses with Male clients reporting an average loss of $181,188 and Female clients reporting an average loss of $71,340.

Sex/average debt levels with Male clients reporting an average debt of $16,538 and Female clients an average debt of $12,339.

Main Gambling Activity of Clients:

Losses Reported by Clients since Gambling became a Problem:

Related Problems due to Problem Gambling reported by clients included:

Source: Northern Rivers Counselling Service

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