Problem gambling continues to be a major issue across Australia. However, as problem gambling rates continue to climb, we are seeing welfare organisations rise to the occasion by extending their support services. This week, St Luke’s Anglicare will do just that by providing more support for problem gamblers in Victoria. On Tuesday, St Luke’s Anglicare will offer up an extended program for problem gamblers in the state.

According to Bendigo Weekly, one of the major additions is multilingual support. It is a well-known fact that problem gambling rates are rising rapidly among immigrants and Native residents, so there is a huge demand for counselling services in languages other than English. This will help to ensure that more problem gamblers come forward to seek assistance.

The ‘No Wrong Door’ program will also be launch, which will ensure the coordination of referrals and appointments between support organisations and welfare groups. Anglicare Victoria Chief Executive Paul McDonald is confident that this will be key in helping more problem gamblers overcome their addictions.

“Social isolation, trauma and stress are all risk factors that become common place for those living with the damage gambling has caused,” he says. “So with a smarter, coordinated response we are looking forward to supporting more people, so that they can start to take steps towards building a positive and fulfilled life”.

Currently, St Luke’s provides support services to 500 people in Victoria every year, although there are 5000 residents that are at-risk or problem gamblers in the state. The organisation is hopeful that the extension to Gambler’s Help will allow them to hep more people across Victoria and bring problem gambling rates down significantly.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call St Luke’s Gambler’s Help at: 1800 244 323.

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George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.