Training resources

Professor Matt Browne presented his research on introducing the Gambling Harms Scale 20 (GHS-20), an extended version of the Short Gambling Harm Screen, which is designed to cover more moderate–severe harm symptomatology. This scale assesses harm in terms of its overall impact on health providing a more nuanced understanding of gambling-related harm.

Recognising the impact of gambling on individuals close to the person who gambles, the research also presents the 10-item and 20-item Gambling Harms Scale for Affected Others. These scales, also assess overall impact on health and fill a significant gap in the literature, providing a dedicated measure for 'affected others'.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health issue and human rights violation, and is also a common concern among clients in gambling help services. This seminar by Dr Sean Cowlishaw, address findings from a recent qualitative project involving Gambler’s Help staff from Victoria and South Australia. It explores the potential role of gambling help services in identifying and responding to clients who have experienced or used violence in their intimate relationships

This presentation by Dr Stephanie Merkouris, a lecturer in the School of Psychology at Deakin University focuses on the way the advances in technology have allowed unprecedented access to large textual datasets that cannot feasibly be extracted and analysed using traditional qualitative approaches. Stephanie adopts an innovative approach to analysing patterns in written text, to explore the experiences and perceptions of gambling forums users, across Australia, the UK and the US.

Associate Professor Alex Russell is a Principal Research Fellow in the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory at CQUniversity. His primary focus is on how technology is changing gambling, who is most at risk from these changes, and what can be done to reduce harm.

The presentation focused on gaming and gambling among young adults. It also looked at whether games simulated gambling products (e.g., loot boxes, social casino games) are a potential gateway for traditional gambling and gambling harm, and how gaming and gambling by others around young people can influence their behaviour. Based on a survey with more than 1000 people aged 18-25, Alex explores the role relationships with their parents, parental attitudes and social norms influence behaviour and discuss how the findings can inform potential interventions.

Dr Jane Oakes highlights the risk factors and processes of gambling relapse. In doing so, she proposes a framework for conceptualising relapse, engaging gamblers in help-seeking, and considering negative emotional states as part of the client’s journey towards gambling recovery and beyond.

4 April 2023

In part two of this two-part professional development series, Gambler's Help staff who have participated in part one will have the opportunity to build on their knowledge about why, how and when to engage the services of an interpreter.

Presented by OnCall Interpreters and Translators in partnership with RMIT, the online workshop will showcase two typical scenarios where an interpreter may be used in a Gambler’s Help service: a client and counsellor therapeutic appointment and a community education group presentation. Participants will watch role plays and have the opportunity to ask questions throughout.

28 March 2023

This webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to learn about why, how and when to engage the services of an interpreter. Part one is for anyone working with clients or community groups where language is a barrier to engagement or effective messaging, in particular Gambler’s Help counsellors, community engagement workers, and venue support staff.

Presented by OnCall Interpreters and Translators in partnership with RMIT, the webinar will provide an introduction to best practice when working with a client or community group who speaks a language other than English, including the following topics:

• The interpreter as a key professional in engaging, communities and working with clients
• Working efficiently and effectively with interpreters
• Professional needs of the interpreter
• Considerations when booking the interpreter
• How to book an interpreter using OnCall interpreters.

What is the link between video gaming and gambling? This session conducted by report authors Dr Kei Sekata and Dr Rebecca Jenkinson from the Australian Gambling Research Centre, will explore key findings from the 2022 report detailing the connection between playing certain kinds of video games during adolescence (16–17 years) and gambling as a young adult (18–19 years).

The pair will discuss the range of negative consequences associated with products such as simulated gambling games, loot boxes, and other in-game purchases along with recommendations in the literature to reduce harm.

Dr. Robert Williams, University of Lethbridge, Canada presents an overview of the findings of all major longitudinal studies of gambling and problem gambling that have been conducted internationally, with a special focus on the results of the recent Canadian National Longitudinal Study of Gambling.

These findings are utilised to create a comprehensive etiological model of problem gambling and this model is then used to derive a comprehensive list of educational and policy initiatives that have the potential to minimise gambling-related harm.

This presentation by Dr Huu Kim Le, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist at CGI Clinic in Adelaide will explore video gaming addiction or ‘gaming disorder’. Defined as a pattern of behaviour characterised by a loss of control over gaming with increasing priority given to gaming over other life activities. Gaming disorder in young people can negatively affect school performance, relationships and mental health.

Using his extensive experience as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Huu Kim Le will share his experience and perspectives on the assessment and treatment of gaming disorder in young people.

This session is presented by Dr Emma Seal from RMIT University and Buly Cardak from LaTrobe University. They go through the results based on a survey conducted with 15,000 Victorian sport fans, which was undertaken in partnership with the Foundation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest sample of sports fans that has addressed sport betting behaviour, attitudes to sport betting and perceptions of the attitudes and behaviours of others (social norms).

This presentation by Dr Ross Gordon will share findings from an Australian Research Council Discovery project that aims to better understand how young adults use, communicate about and experience mobile phone sports betting applications.

Dr Megan Freund from the University of Newcastle, NSW provides an overview of the 2017 Australian School Students Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) Survey. Dr Freund presents on the research methods, summarises the findings of the final report, and provides a preview of additional analyses that have been completed.

Dr Jim Sauer (University of Tasmania) and Dr Aaron Drummond (Massey University) uncovers important psychological and legal similarities between loot boxes and conventional forms of gambling, present some data demonstrating behavioural associations between loot boxes and gambling, and address the idea that engagement with loot boxes might serve as a gateway for future gambling.

Dr Sean Cowlishaw from Melbourne University’s Phoenix Australia Centre presented findings from his study highlighting the extent, risk-factors, and implications of gambling problems among current members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) following deployment to the Middle East Area of Operations.

Bingo is generally considered to be a relatively harmless form of gambling, however digital technologies are changing the nature of the game. Sarah MacLean outlines findings from a collaborative study of bingo in three communities where disadvantage is prevalent.

This presentation by Dr Brian Vanderberg from Monash University presents the findings of an exploratory study of how gambling and homelessness is linked in older age.

In this presentation, Prof David Johnston from Monash University will share new evidence on the potential benefits and harms of greater geographic accessibility to suburban gambling venues containing electronic gaming machines (pokies) will be examined.

This webinar will present updated key findings from the second national study of interactive gambling in Australia since the first study was held in 2014.

This webinar will explore this rapidly-evolving ecosystem of gambling live streaming, and why it should be of interest to gambling researchers, and policymakers.

This webinar presented by Dr Gabi Bryne will present findings from a Foundation-led research project which gathered detailed information from Gambler’s Help counselling staff about their experiences, and that of their clients, on telehealth counselling during COVID-19.

In this presentation, findings from two exploratory studies of gambling will be shared. The studies were initiated and conducted by Mallee District Aboriginal Services and Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Services, in collaboration with La Trobe University.

This presentation outlines evidence on how common loot boxes are in popular video games in Australia and examine survey research on the relationships between loot box use, gambling problems and harm.

Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and other Australian Institute of Family Studies research into sports betting among young Australians, this seminar presents important new insights.

Nancy Greer, AIFS talks about esports becoming increasingly popular worldwide and are particularly attractive to children, adolescents, and young adults.

Brett Hetherington speaks to Tabcorp about their responsible gambling and exclusion support options available for both online and land-based customers.

Brett Hetherington speaks to Crown Melbourne about their third-party exclusion offering for their customers.

Dr Simone Rodda presents the findings of a series of studies that were conducted in Victorian pokies venues.