National Framework on Problem Gambling
Senator Kay Patterson, Minister for Family and Community Services, today announced that state and territory governments had agreed at the Ministerial Council on Gambling meeting to the Australian Government’s proposal for a national framework on problem gambling.
“The framework is clearly targetted to problem gambling and involves all state and territory governments,” Senator Patterson.
“The four key focus areas agreed to for the framework include:
- Public awareness and training,
- Responsible gambling environments,
- Intervention, counselling and support services; and
- National research, data collection and evaluation.
“Problem gamblers make up around two per cent of the adult Australian population and account for approximately one third of the $15 billion spent on gambling each year.
“The negative impact and social harm of problem gambling is a concerning social problem across Australia and one that appears to be on the rise.
“Having a coordinated approach to this issue will help to address the consequences of problem gambling on families, individuals and communities.
“The majority of state and territory governments spend less than half of one percent of their gambling revenue on this vitally important issue.
“This framework is a step in the right direction to ensure a collaborative national approach which will drive improved policy decisions by governments and greater transparency for gambling industry participants.”