Young Aboriginal People's Gambling Awareness Program
The ads are everywhere – TV, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. They make it seem like sport and gambling go together and that everyone is betting, even those who are legally too young to gamble.
This program has been designed in collaboration with Aboriginal Gambler’s Help services to help young Aboriginal people gain a balanced, realistic understanding of the risks associated with gambling, as well as the potential outcomes.
It puts the focus back on loving the game, not the odds.
What the program looks like
Through a range of interactive workshop activities, participants are encouraged to:
- identify all the sports they can bet on to show how commonplace sports betting has become
- reflect on the fact that sports betting is a form of gambling
- think about why gambling might feel like a normal activity
- become aware that some digital games resemble real gambling apps
- consider how much money Victorians spend on gambling each year
- recognise that gambling is an activity that has very few winners
- contemplate how betting agencies use advertising to sell their products
- query whether gambling might be a problem for them or someone they know
- learn about the services available to support Aboriginal communities, especially young people.
Who can participate
The Love the Game – Young Aboriginal People’s Awareness Program can be delivered to young groups in settings such as youth groups, sporting clubs and schools.
It can be delivered by:
- a community engagement coordinator from an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service who has been trained to deliver the program
- a counsellor or community educator from a local Gambler’s Help service who has been trained to deliver the program.
How to get involved
Community Services
If you would like to learn more about the program, or to book a session, please contact your local Aboriginal Gambler’s Help Services.
Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative
– Morwell and Bairnsdale
Mallee District Aboriginal Service
Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative
Victorian Aboriginal Health Service – Fitzroy and Preston
Schools
Visit lovethegame.vic.gov.au/schools and complete the online booking form.