Australia: Responsible Gambling Awareness Week, by Greg Tingle - 17th May 2010

Aussie's are known the world over for their love of gambling.

Down in Melbourne...in the great state of Victoria, home of the James Packer Crown Casino, the state is getting the message out to all and sundry, casino owners, players (land based and online), poker pros, staff, the lot, about responsible gambling.

Media Man and Gambling911 are passionate about gambling, gaming and sports betting, as are the loyal readers, and once in a while we like to remind all, even ourselves... to keep it fun... here's the great and important news from down under in Aussie Land...

Victorians love the thrill of "having a flutter" with about 70% of Victorian adults participating in some form of gambling last year.

With such a passion for playing the odds, Victorians are encouraged to remember to gamble responsibly with the fifth annual Responsible Gambling Awareness Week taking place in Victoria on May 17 – 23 in 2010.

Responsible Gambling Awareness Week is a partnership between the Victorian Government, industry and community groups with a theme "Seven Days of Responsibility", focusing on having knowledge, balance and control when gambling.

Victorian Government figures show that in 2009, 73 per cent of Victorian adults participated in some form of gambling with the dream of becoming instant millionaires – making Lotto, Powerball or the Pools the most popular.

Participating in raffles, sweeps and other competitions was the second favourite form of gambling, attracting 42.88 per cent of Victorians, followed by playing the pokies (21.46 per cent), having a punt on horse, harness or greyhound racing (16.4 per cent), and trying their luck on scratch tickets (15.31 per cent).

Other forms of gambling enjoyed last year include entering prize draw competitions by phone or SMS (7.35 per cent), playing table games such as roulette (4.59 per cent), betting on sports and other events like TV shows (3.96 per cent), private betting such as playing cards at home (3.46 per cent), speculative investments such as day-trading on the stockmarket (3.17 per cent), followed by Keno (2.33 per cent) and Bingo (2.12 per cent).

Victorian Gaming Minister Tony Robinson said the majority of Victorian gamblers played their chosen game responsibly and remained within their limits.

"Responsible Gambling Awareness Week is an important initiative to remind Victorian adults to gamble in a responsible manner," Mr Robinson said.

"But it’s important not to take it too far and let gambling take over your life. Don’t chase your losses and remember to gamble for the fun of it."

A range of ambassadors from the sporting, entertainment and media world will help spread the responsible gambling message during the week at a range of events and activities throughout Victoria.. They include cricketing legend Simon O’Donnell, racehorse trainer Lee Freedman, and Indigenous comedian Denise McGuinness.

Responsible Gambling Awareness Week is an initiative of the Responsible Gambling Ministerial Advisory Council and is supported by a range of partners. These include the Victorian Local Governance Association, the Council of Gambler’s Help Services, numerous Gambler’s Help agencies, Tatts Group, Crown Melbourne, the Salvation Army / Interchurch Gambling Taskforce, Australian Hotels and Hospitality Association, the Liquor Hospitality Miscellaneous Union, Clubs Victoria, Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group, Tabcorp, and the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation, the Victorian Returned Services League, Racing Victoria and the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Australian Horse Racing News On Responsible Gambling Awareness Week...

Victoria's three racing codes have joined in support of the fifth annual Responsible Gambling Awareness Week which runs from 17 to 23 May.

Racing Victoria Limited, Harness Racing Victoria and Greyhound Racing Victoria will assist the State Government initiative to promote the need for a balanced approach to gambling.

Throughout the week, all three codes will feature advertisements in race books, on big screens at race meetings and on websites.

The latest initiative to promote responsible gambling in Victoria is the Victorian Bookmakers Association's Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct Information Kit.

The Code of Conduct has been in place since the beginning of 2010 and commits bookmakers and their employees to promote responsible gambling messages by displaying messages on all betting tickets, websites and as a recording on phone betting accounts.

RVL Chief Executive, Rob Hines, said the Code had been adopted by every Victorian bookmaker across the state.

"This demonstrates their strong commitment to ensuring bookmaking services are provided responsibly and to protect against gambling related harm," Mr Hines said.

"The bookmaking profession is to be commended for the positive manner in which it has responded to the Victorian Government's introduction of mandatory codes – noting that the VBA and the bookmakers had put into place a voluntary code nearly a decade ago".

RGAW was officially launched at Flemington Racecourse prior to the Andrew Ramsden Stakes Day meeting.

"Having a punt on the races is a great Australian tradition, but it is important to stay in control of your wagering and not let it take over your life," Mr Hines said.

John Stephens, GRV Chief Executive, said, "One of the successes of greyhound racing over a long period of time is that people can enjoy the sport as a social past time.

"Betting in moderation and within your means is an essential part of maintaining that fun and social balance."

John Anderson, HRV Chief Executive, said, "Harness Racing is a wonderful family sport with a large supporter base in regional and country Victoria.

"The sport has been built on generations of industry enthusiasts who have gambled responsibly and well within their means. In doing so, they have enjoyed their pastime and passed on their passion for harness racing to their kids."

Media Man and Gambling911 are delighted to help spread the message far and wide, nationally and international.

As we've been saying for years, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, keep it fun, and if it starts to become a problem please seek professional assistance. Happy hunting and good punting. Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi USA USA Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi Aussie Oi Aussie Oi Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen industry sectors they cover

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

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