The room fell silent

The room full of jovial young footballers at Clayton Football club fell silent last Thursday night when Foundation ambassador Matt Torcasio shared his personal story of how he won his battle with problem gambling.

Being a keen footballer himself, Matt urged the club to appreciate the relevance and importance of responsible gambling in a sporting club setting, especially given the rapidly rising popularity of sports betting.

Matt explained that what started as a flutter on the horses or a spin on the pokies, quickly grew into a habit he couldn’t control. In doing so, he highlighted to the 30 players and club officials that problem gambling is a real issue that could potentially effect them or their teammates.

Sally Gissing, our new Education Deliverer, further elaborated on the importance of responsible gambling and provided tips on how sporting clubs can help break the growing link between sports and wagering. The audience was also encouraged to look out for fellow teammates and seek more information or advice from Gambler’s Help if they had concerns about gambling.

This education session was part of the Gambling’s not a game responsible gambling charter, an initiative that aims to assist clubs in taking a responsible approach to gambling. Signing the charter is a commitment to minimise the exposure of gambling activities and advertising to young people, and to raise awareness about the potential risks of gambling in the club community.

The Foundation would like to congratulate Clayton Football Club for signing up to the responsible gambling charter.

If your sporting club is interested in learning more about and being apart of this valuable program go to our Sporting Clubs Program page.