The NSW Office of Responsible Gambling has launched a four-month campaign to help people from diverse communities facing problems with gambling to access personal support.
Welcoming The Number that Changed our Life campaign, the Minister for Hospitality and Racing, Kevin Anderson said it was designed to specifically support people experiencing gambling harms from across Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic and Hindi communities.
“Even though culturally and linguistically diverse communities gamble less than the general population in New South Wales, they are more vulnerable to gambling harm and experience more gambling problems than the general community,” Mr Anderson said.
“The Number that Changed our Life campaign has been rolled out across TV, Radio, print and social media for those people in these communities to seek help.”
Minister for Multiculturalism, Mark Coure said for some people there may be cultural sensitivities to gambling, “which makes it harder for them to talk to their families or friends, or which may make recognising when someone is in trouble harder to identify.”
“This campaign helps to cut through to both those that are experiencing trouble, their friends and family around them, and ensures no one is left to suffer alone in silence,” Mr Coure said.
Director of the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, Natalie Wright said there were excellent multilingual resources and counsellors on hand via the Office’s GambleAware website, but the first step to seeking help was often the hardest.
“This is why The Number that Changed our Life campaign not only targets the gambler, but also their family and friends, as having the tools to reach out to loved ones, could be the difference between having the problem and addressing it,” Ms Wright said.
“The number that changes your life won’t be one of those lucky numbers that never comes through, it’s the number for GambleAware’s counselling service – 1800 858 858,” she said.
“That might be the biggest win you have.”
