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Ref:5/2003
23
March, 2003
Launch – Problem
Gambling Awareness Week
The
first Problem Gambling Awareness Week to be held in Australia is being
conducted in South Australia and launched tomorrow, Monday 24th March.
Date: Monday
24th March
Time: 12.30.
(Media interviews available from 12.00 noon)
Venue: Way
Hall, 1st Floor, 10 Pitt St Adelaide.
Keynote
Speaker: Paul
Bellringer
The
launch features a paper from international expert, Paul Bellringer,
Director of GamCare in the United Kingdom.
GamCare
is the national centre in the UK for information, advice and practical
help to the social impact of gambling.
Paul’s
involvements and achievements include:
- 20 years
involvement with social consequences of gambling
- Set up
UK Forum on Young People and Gambling
- Current
Chair of Society for Study of Gambling (UK)
- Wrote “Understanding
Problem Gamblers”, published in 1999
- Awarded
OBE for ‘services to gambling addiction’ in the millennium New Year
Honours list.
- Current
involvement in regulation of Internet and Interactive television
gambling.
- First
visit to Adelaide.
Adelaide
Central Mission because of growing numbers of people with gambling
problems who are seeking assistance has set up problem Gambling Awareness
Week. We are also concerned
by the escalating severity of circumstances of people seeking assistance. Some
indicative figures”
-
South Australians lost over $600 million to poker machines last year
-
SA has had a 300 per cent increase in gambling turnover since the advent of poker machines, from $1.5 billion per year to over $6 billion per year.
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Sports Betting turnover has increased by over 160% in the last 12 months
-
Adelaide Central Mission gambling counsellors conducted over 3,000 interview last year.
-
About 1 in 5 clients with gambling problems has contemplated or attempted suicide
| Further
Information or to set up interviews, including with Paul Bellringer
(after 9.00am) |
|||
| Mark
Henley Senior Policy Officer |
(08) 8202
5135 0404 067 011 (mob) |
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