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Gambling addiction is crippling Australians and their families. Here is a sensible first step to tackle the growing problem.

I know that Aussies love to have a “punt on the ponies”, but it’s becoming a massive community problem that can’t be ignored. For example, in the state where I currently live, the Anglican Church of Tasmania has published an excellent report which makes for sobering reading. Here’s a quick snapshot of what their research found:

• Just under half (47%) of Tasmanian adults gamble.
• In 2020-21, Tasmanian gamblers lost $398 million. That’s a loss of over $1 million a day and an average annual loss of $1,676 per gambler.
• In 2021-22, assistance was provided by Anglicare support services to 347 Tasmanians harmed by gambling.
• Tasmanians from socioeconomically disadvantaged LGAs were 70% more likely to seek help for a gambling problem.
• Over 57,000 Tasmanians are harmed by someone else’s gambling.

The report goes on to detail the numerous lifetime, generational and intergenerational impacts of gambling. Problems which negatively impact an individual’s — and those they whom love — health, relationships and resources. The tragic reality is, the problems associated with gambling are legion.

The Problem with Gambling

Obviously, there is a problem with gambling even before it becomes a problem. Because it fundamentally displaces our trust in God and erodes our own contentment. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Tim. 6:6-10)

As the Tasmanian Anglican report outlines, the love of money — as pursued in gambling — leads to a plethora of problems involving health, social, psychological, work/study, finances, culture and criminality.

The key, as Paul goes on to write, is “not to be arrogant or to put our hope in wealth, but to put our hope in God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.” (1 Tim. 6:17). For as the Lord Jesus Christ said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24)

What Can Be Done?

While the above statistical data makes for depressing reading, the Anglican Church of Tasmania has come up with what I think is a wise and practical way forward. Rather than banning gambling altogether, they are urging politicians to implement a universal card system for poker machines. Significantly, this has also been recommended by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.

The system is based on the following harm-reduction strategy:

• people need a card in order to gamble on any poker machine in Tasmania
• binding pre-commitment and default loss limits
• a single card is issued per person
• the system operates across all venues with poker machines

The benefits of adopting such a fair-minded approach are obvious:

• prevent poker machine losses that people cannot afford
• target harmful gambling with minimal impact on recreational gambling
• be more effective in preventing harm, including gambling-related suicide
• make self-exclusion easier, confidential and more effective
• give consumers a range of tools and greater control

The Anglican Church of Tasmania is to be commended for their care for people in the community in general, but especially those impacted by the problem of problem gambling in particular. As such, this is an initiative that everyone in the community could wholeheartedly get behind, and especially those in the church.

Gambling is a scourge on the well-being and health of our community. And while many — such as myself — would like to see an end to the practice altogether, this is a reasonable and compassionate response to an ever-growing problem.

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Photo by Javon Swaby.