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Monday, May 27, 2024
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HANDPRINT HONOUR The city’s Australian Citizen of the Year Ruth Kneebone (back, centre) was honoured with the unveiling of her carved handprint in the Marmungun Rock on Sunday. Pictured also are Mayor Dean Rees, Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy, Cr Harry Bussell, Jesse Cooper, Cr Harvey Benton; (front) Kevin Cooper, Sonny Cooper, and Ellie Seymour. ■ See coverage page 2. PHOTO: Steve Kelly
O&M stunned in interleague Sport
Online gambling scourge Gambling G bli g addiction ddi i iis costing i gp people pl much h more than h money, y, b but llocall h help lp iis accessible ibl INCREASES in online gambling across the nation has Australia ranked third highest in the world with 2024 revenue forecast at $10.14 billion, only behind the USA and UK. The harms can become far greater than the financial hurt, with the fallout from addiction impacting users of online gambling products but also their social network including family, friends and work colleagues. Jody Riordan, Gambler’s Help community
BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au
engagement coordinator at Gateway Health, said the harms from gambling can happen to anyone, impacting people’s mental health, causing substance abuse, and co-occurring issues like relationship, financial stress, and family violence. She said because of the inter-related issue of gambling harm, the other issues are
more intense and can have quite complex consequences to people’s health which is often experienced by their loved ones. “A lot of people only think of the financial harms, but it extends to psychological harms, physical and mental health, even criminal activity, cultural harm, relationship harms - it’s very holistic,” Ms Riordan explained. “Gambling disorder is listed in the DSM-5 and it can become a real psychiatric condition - the ease of access
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to gambling products plays into that.” Gambling products are designed to addict and with the backing of advertising strategies there is continued ongoing social acceptance in Australia. Along with Australia’s high revenue ranking, Ms Riordan said the nation is also ranked highly in the world for internet connectivity. Ms Riordan said children under 18 years of age are falling victim to addictive gambling related techniques
in online games at a young age. “Young children are exposed to these addictive gambling components with games using techniques and there is advertising on digital devices that people are exposed to from a young age,” she said. “Gateway Health offers a parents and friends webinar free for people to come along and learn about gambling harms for people and we’re seeing younger people under the age of 18 who are
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experiencing harms. “Our largest at-risk group are young men aged 1835, so it’s happening a lot younger and this is due to the exposure, the access and also the culture and positive attitudes we have to gambling in Australia. “The games are all dopamine stimulating, which is part of the reward system in your brain, and they’re designed the same way and they use the same techniques as poker machines. ■ Continued page 3