How can you help if someone you know has a gambling problem?

We speak with Anna Bardsley and David McAnalen about what you can do if someone you know is experiencing gambling harm.

While many people wouldn’t think twice about an outing to the pokies or putting a bet on the footy or the Melbourne Cup, data from the Productivity Commission shows that up to 170,000 Australian adults experience problems due to gambling addiction.

In fact, Australians are among the heaviest gamblers in the world.

Estimates suggest that we lose approximately $25 billion on legal forms of gambling each year.

That doesn’t include the social costs of gambling – it can affect everything from your financial and emotional wellbeing, to your relationships with friends and family, and your career.

For every person who experiences harm as a result of their gambling, up to six other people are negatively affected.  

So what do you do if you think someone you know is experiencing gambling harm?

In this episode of How Can I Help, we speak with Anna Bardsley about her experience of gambling, and hear from David McAnalen, a gambling help service community educator at Relationships Australia Queensland, about what we can do. 

Listen below or find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.

You can read a transcript of this episode here.

There are a wide range of resources available for anyone affected by gambling across Australia. These services are open to people with a gambling addiction, as well as their friends and families. 

For more information visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au or call 1800 858 858 for free support.

For more information about Relationships Australia Queensland visit www.raq.org.au

You can find out more about the work of the Alliance for Gambling Reform at www.pokiesplayyou.org.au

Visit Three Sides of the Coin – Theatre for Change to find out more about the ​​book and theatre work Anna refers to in her interview.

How Can I Help? Is a podcast for people who want to help, but don’t know where to start.

Hosted by Pro Bono News editor Wendy Williams, the six-part series features conversations with people with lived experience and experts in the field on what we can do to help in situations that we might encounter at some point in our lives  – whether that’s when you see someone sleeping rough, if you think a friend or colleague is in an abusive relationship, or if a family member is suffering from depression. 

Find out more at probonoaustralia.com.au/how-can-i-help/.