Resources for teachers

What are the odds?

In this unit students will learn about the randomness of gambling games/activities along with the limited chances of winning given the size of gambling losses in Australia and the difficulty in predicting outcomes.

Students will gain an understanding:

• that 'chance has no memory'
• that many gambling games involve random processes
• how gambling agencies/venues make profits

VCAL Numeracy Unit: What are the odds?

Spreadsheets for demonstrating gambling outcomes and data:

• A day at the races
• Card sharp
• Melbourne Cup
• Pokies
• Setting limits
• Sports betting agency

PowerPoint presentations (pdf format) of lesson overviews:

• Lesson 1: Chance has no memory
• Lesson 2: Who are the real winners?
• Lesson 3: Pokies
• Lesson 4: Sports betting
• Lesson 5: Horse racing

This unit was developed and piloted in partnership with the Mathematical Association of Victoria.

Budgeting, losses and probability

This resource has been developed to address learning outcomes from Unit 1 Numeracy Skills for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels. These resources may also be adapted to suit the Victorian Curriculum Mathematics requirements.

Developing numerical skills by using the worksheets and activities, students will develop awareness of the mathematics associated with gambling and risk. Students learn to recognise the costs of living and start to develop personal budgeting skills, including an understanding of the responsibilities of paying common bills.

• VCAL Numeracy Unit: Budgeting, losses and probability

Note: These units were initially developed and piloted in partnership with Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) and have now been updated by Multifangled Pty Ltd education consultants.

Knowing when it's a concern

This resource has been developed to address learning outcomes from Unit 1 Personal Development Skills (PDS) for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels. The activities in this resource have also been mapped to learning outcomes from Literacy Skills, Reading and Writing and Oral Communication.

Using information from either the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s (VRGF) senior student workshop or a series of videos, students will develop an activity (e.g. a media campaign for the school, an expo for the community, performing a play they have written, developing a board game) that develops awareness of when gambling might be a concern for someone and the support available.

Students will work in groups to develop the activity. Through developing the activity, students can be assessed against the learning outcomes from PDS Unit 1 and relevant Reading and Writing and Oral Communication learning outcomes.

VCAL PDS Unit: Knowing when it’s a concern

Knowing the Score

This resource has been developed to address learning outcomes from Unit 2 Personal Development Skills (PDS) for students working at Foundation, Intermediate and Senior levels. The activities in this resource have also been mapped to learning outcomes from Literacy Skills, Reading and Writing and Oral Communication.

Using the information from either the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s senior student workshop or a series of videos, students will create a product (e.g. a magazine, song, podcast, TV-style interview, newsreader-type documentary, poem, artwork, PowerPoint or Prezi information session) for young people focusing on a relevant issue associated with gambling.

Students will work in groups to develop and then share the product. Students working at the Senior level will also need to partner with an external organisation or group. Through developing and sharing the product, students will be able to be assessed against the learning outcomes from PDS Unit 2 and relevant Reading and Writing and Oral Communication learning outcomes.

VCAL PDS Unit: Knowing the Score

Note: These units were initially developed and piloted in partnership with VALAD Solutions education consultants and have now been updated by Multifangled Pty Ltd education consultants

GAME ON. Gambling: a youth health issue

This six lesson unit of work and assessments aligns with VCE Health and Human Development Unit 1, Area of Study 3 (Youth health and wellbeing).

In this unit, students are required to focus on the health and wellbeing of Australia’s youth and conduct independent research into a selected area of interest. This resource will support teachers to introduce this topic to their students using a strengths-based approach, providing data and resources from VRGF’s various projects and support programs to enable students to analyse real life data and develop an understanding of help seeking strategies should students find themselves, or a friend, in this position.

Lesson plans, worksheets, PowerPoints and an assessment task have been developed that will assist teachers to achieve Unit 1, Outcome 3 for their students.

These resources were developed in partnership with ACHPER Victoria.

• Lesson 1 – Who’s gambling and gaming?
• Lesson 2 – The community and gambling
• Lesson 3 - The two G’s (gaming and gambling)
• Lesson 4 – Here to help!
• Lesson 5 – What’s at stake?
• Lesson 6 – Find your voice – youth speak!
• Unit overview and assessment

Representations of gambling in advertising

This VCE teaching resource has been developed by the Australian Teachers of Media Victoria and the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. It aligns to areas of study within units 1 and 2 of the VCE Media curriculum.

The unit of work helps students explore gambling advertising and what values these media products are representing. They discuss who the target audience is for these media products and how they have been constructed for this audience.

Students will also compare these representations of gambling and inherent values with those depicted in advertising from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. Students then will create a negative representation of gambling through a social media post through the theme, the harms of gambling.

Unit outline:

Media forms, representations and Australian stories

• How do gambling companies represent gambling?
• How can gambling be represented in other ways?
• How can we create gambling representations for different audiences?

Narrative across media forms

• What concerns do we have with advertising?
• How is advertising regulated in Australia?
• What rules are there around gambling advertising?
• How can I submit a complaint about a gambling advertisement?

Download VCE Media: Representations of gambling in advertising

Telling gaming from gambling

In this unit students will learn how it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between gaming and gambling and how digital games that look like gambling can be misleading.

Students will:

• investigate the screen time habits of their peers and their common online activities
• consider their awareness of ‘fake’ gambling apps and identify possible cyber safety issues associated with these apps
• understand the difficulties in differentiating between gaming and gambling
• develop a tool which is targeted to parents to assist them to educate their children about ‘fake’ gambling apps and cyber safety concerns.

Well-Being: Telling gaming from gambling

Teacher instruction video: Telling gaming from gambling

This unit was developed and piloted in partnership with Valad Solutions Pty Ltd education consultants.

The role of regulation

In this unit students will understand that gambling is an inherently risky activity and regulation exists to help protect Australian and Victorian citizens from gambling harm.

Students will:

• revise and consolidate their understanding of elements of a democratic society and freedom of choice
• consider reasons for the regulation of gambling in Australia and draw comparisons with other risky activities which are regulated to protect citizens from harm
• understand the role the government has in regulating gambling in Australia
• investigate effects of gambling regulation in Australia
• learn about how gambling is regulated in Australia and overseas.

Humanities Unit: The role of regulation

Teacher instruction video: The role of regulation

Risky business

In this unit students will understand the financial risks associated with gambling and how recognising the limited chances of winning can be a way of protecting yourself.

Students will:

• understand the concept of chance and probability
• understand the limited chances of winning money when gambling because gambling and betting agencies are businesses that exist to make a profit
• identify some of the short and long term financial risks associated with gambling, with a greater emphasis on shorter term
• identify strategies to minimise the financial risks associated with gambling.

Humanities Unit: Risky business

Teacher instruction video: Risky business

Note: These units were developed in partnership with Valad Solutions Pty Ltd education consultants.