News and media

On 26 March 2018, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation heard an application from Horsham Sports & Community Club Ltd to increase the number of pokies at the Horsham Sports & Community Club from 78 to 83.

In 2014 the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation launched our Love the Game Sporting Club Program in response to community concern about the convergence of sport and gambling. The program was designed to shift our focus away from gambling and back to the love of sport. It aimed to highlight gambling and sports betting as a community issue and inform people about the risks of gambling harm.

On 4 and 10 April 2018, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation will hear an application from Station Hotel Officer Pty Ltd to introduce 80 pokies at the Officer Hotel in the Shire of Cardinia.

In this edition Louise discusses: our new websites, Melbourne Football Club's commitment to phase out pokies, Victorian Population Gambling and Health Study, The Foundation’s third biennial conference, Gambling harm: Taking action for change.

A new major study examining the impact gambling has on the health outcomes of Victorians has been announced by Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Marlene Kairouz.

Stigma remains a significant issue for people experiencing gambling harm, with more than 50 per cent of adults who participated in the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s 2017 community attitudes survey declaring most people would think less of a person who struggles with their gambling.

We are proud to launch our new website. We’ve listened to your feedback and made much needed improvements by creating our corporate VRGF website (responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au) and Gambler’s Help website (gamblershelp.com.au).

Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation CEO Louise Glanville has welcomed Melbourne Football Club’s announcement today that it plans to divest itself of gaming machines as a source of revenue.

As part of AFL Victoria's commitment to address social issues affecting the community, each of these organisations will have state wide themed rounds during the 2018 season, including our very own 'Love The Game' round in July.

In this edition Louise discusses: our prevention partnership program, grants for regional and rural Victoria, CALD prevention grants, Reclink Australia, Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Anglicare Victoria's financial literacy programs, The Foundation's normalisation awareness campaign 'The Talk', Love The Game.

Grants totalling $250,000 are available for gambling harm prevention projects in regional and rural Victoria. The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Marlene Kairouz, announced the funding today in Bendigo.

Parents are encouraged to have a conversation with their teenage children about the risks and potential harms of gambling under the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s latest marketing campaign, The Talk, now running on TV, radio and online.

The Foundation has released new videos in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Arabic to explain the signs of gambling harm and describe what to expect during a consultation with a Gambler’s Help or other professional counsellor.

In this edition Louise discusses: CALD prevention grants, the International Gambling Conference hosted in New Zealand, The Foundation's public awareness campaign 'Harm starts earlier than you think', Communications Legislation Amendment Bill submission, Love The Game.

Amendments to the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 passed by the Victorian Parliament late last year include changes to the amount of money accessible by EFTPOS in hotels and clubs operating pokies and the actions staff are required to take when customers wish to withdraw cash.

In December 2017, the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee commenced an inquiry on the Communications Legislation Amendment (Online Content Services and Other Measures) Bill 2017.

If you or someone you know has experienced the harm that gambling can cause, you may like to share your personal experiences as a way to help others, reduce stigma and create positive change.

Legislative amendments to commence on 17 February 2018 will ban online wagering providers, such as online bookmakers, from offering credit to Australian punters. This includes offering punters a deferred settlement facility.

On 29 January 2018, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation released figures on pokies expenditure for the six months from July to December 2017.

In this edition Louise discusses: gambling harm, prevention, early intervention, support, research program, Gambler's Help, Victorian Population Gambling and Health Study, sports betting, gambling advertising, Commonwealth legislation, prevention grants, awareness campaigns.