A hidden trail of misery, trauma

GEELONG’S staggering pokies losses are hitting much more than the community’s back pockets, the city’s leading gambling support service warns.

Problem gambling in the region leaves a trail of misery and trauma extending far beyond financial losses, Bethany chief executive Grant Boyd said.

“For the people who really have a serious issue with gambling, it’s more than a financial loss,” Mr Boyd said.

“There are a whole range of social and mental health issues and safety issues that can ripple out from someone’s gambling addiction.

“For a problem gambler there is on average seven other people af- fected — through things like impact on the family’s finances … where there’s not the money there for essential items, where housing can become insecure, mental health issues are common, and there’s a bit of a nexus between problem gambling and family violence.”

Mr Boyd said the organisation was concerned by the latest figures around pokies losses, which revealed Geelong pokies swallowed $118.8 million in the last financial year.

“It’s a very large amount of money to be losing in the community,” he said.

“Behind those dollar figures is a trail of human misery, and trauma and loss and issues that really have lasting impacts on people — particularly on children.”

Mr Boyd said disadvantaged suburbs were often the ones hit hardest by problem gambling.

“The other thing we see too is there’s a clustering of this around socially and economically disadvantaged areas — so often the people who can least afford to lose money are engaged in problem gambling behaviours,” he said.

“That exacerbates the impact. For people who are in low incomes the impacts can be quite severe — no money to put food on the table, buy kids’ uniforms, getting them to school excursions.”

For gambling health services, visit bethany.org.au/services/gamblers-help