Getting help when your loved one has gambling problems

There is no cure when it comes to gambling addiction. But when family and friends of problem gamblers get the right support for themselves, they are more likely to help their loved ones recover. In Australia, help is available in your language

Pokies present more risk of harm than any other form of gambling, according to an NSW Responsible Gaming Fund report. Credit: Getty Images/Alina555 Source: Pixabay / Courtesy of Pixabay

Key Points

• Potential harm from gambling extends from financial to mental health problems.
• Family and friends are impacted by one’s compulsive gambling, but support is available.
• Cultural sensitivities can prevent people from seeking help and helping a loved one effectively requires family and friends to get support too.

How to listen to this podcast. Credit: SBS Filipino

Data compiled in 2021 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, suggest that approximately one in three Australians spend money on gambling products, and 7.2% of Australian adults are at risk of experiencing gambling harm.

Negative consequences from gambling come in different forms, including financial, legal, and emotional harm.

These don’t only affect the individual, but also their family and social network.

Sally Gainsbury, Professor of Psychology at the University of Sydney, explains why the nature of this addiction can make it harder to address.

“Gambling can be easily hidden both online and offline. It's often called the hidden addiction because you don't see it in someone's eyes or smell it on their breath if they have a gambling problem. Online gambling brings up the next level, where obviously being able to be physically in the home while gambling or doing it on a mobile device. So, it does appeal to different people, particularly if it's online wagering, it has a somewhat of a different audience to poker machines, [but] the harms are still the same, and the financial costs are still the same.”