More young Gippslanders seeking gambling support

More than half of the people supported by Latrobe Community Health Service’s (LCHS) Gambler’s Help team last financial year were aged between 15 and 44.

The local figure comes as BetStop, Australia’s national online gambling self-exclusion register, marks three years of operation.

LCHS Gambler’s Help team leader Chipo Chiyangwa said BetStop had become a useful safeguard for people experiencing gambling harm across the community.

“BetStop has been a positive harm-reduction tool for many people experiencing gambling harm in our community, providing a practical barrier to accessing licensed online betting services,” Ms Chiyangwa said.

“Gambling can be impulsive and driven by triggers such as stress, loneliness, boredom or emotional distress, so interrupting access at those moments can give people valuable space to step away from gambling.”

More than 67,000 registrations have been made since BetStop was launched by the federal government in August 2023.

People use the service to exclude themselves from all licensed interactive wagering providers for anywhere from three months to the rest of their lives.

Once somebody is registered, that person can’t open an account or place a bet with those providers, and they must also be removed from direct marketing lists.

More than 41,000 exclusions are currently active, and 38 per cent of those who have registered opted for a lifetime ban.

Younger Australians are making up a huge chunk of that figure, with 78 per cent of BetStop registrants in Australia aged 40 or under.

LCHS doesn’t hold figures showing how many of its clients use BetStop or how many local users fall within that age group, however, 55 per cent of clients supported by its Gambler’s Help service during the past financial year were aged from 15 to 44.

But Ms Chiyangway emphasised that blocking access to betting accounts was just one part of addressing gambling harm.

“While BetStop is not a standalone treatment, it can be an important safeguard alongside therapeutic and financial counselling and other recovery strategies,” she said.

“Our counsellors at Latrobe Community Health Service work with people to identify their triggers and develop healthier ways to manage them, with BetStop providing an additional layer of protection when urges arise.”

Parliament has also passed reforms that prevent gambling companies from directly marketing to former BetStop registrants for three months after they leave the register.

A new cost-recovery levy will also require gambling companies to fund improvements to BetStop and efforts to raise public awareness of the service.