8 Engaging the disengaged Drop-In centre helps transform young lives
10 Confessions of a Candy Crusher Priorities, purpose and who’s in control 12 Breaking the chains Anna recounts the cost of gambling addiction
“If we were good at everything, we would have no need for each other.”
- Simon Sinek
What is The Salvation Army?
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.
Vision Statement
Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus.
Mission Statement
The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by:
• Caring for people
• Creating faith pathways
• Building healthy communities
• Working for justice
The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders, past, present, and future. We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.
Gambling help
“Teens are now more likely to bet on sport, rather than play it,” according to a recent Australia Institute study.
600,000 Australian children – nearly one-third of all 12- to 17-year-olds – are gambling, spending more than $18 million a year.
Per capita, Australians lose the most in the world to gambling.
These are frightening statistics, reflecting the number of young lives impacted by gambling in a largely hidden yet growing crisis that has profound implications for the future.
Gambling is a broad public health issue that impacts individuals, families and communities financially, emotionally, spiritually, socially and physically. Young people from all walks of life are caught up in its insidious grip.
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Founders: William and Catherine Booth
Salvation Army World Leaders: General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn
Buckingham
Territorial Leader: Commissioner Miriam Gluyas
Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief: Colonel Rodney Walters
Publications Manager: Cheryl Tinker
Editor: Simone Worthing
Graphic Designer: Ryan Harrison
Enquiry email: publications@salvationarmy.org.au
All other Salvation Army enquiries 13 72 58
Press date: 18 July 2025
Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Miriam Gluyas at Focus Print Group, Chester Hill, NSW, Darug Nation lands.
In this edition, we explore the gambling addiction invading young lives, what is being done to help them, and how parents and the community can have a positive influence.
We also look at a Salvos service that assists people of all ages struggling with gambling, assuring them that it’s never too late to ask for help.
For these stories and more, go to salvosonline.org.au
Simone Worthing Editor
The high stakes of Childhood
Kids caught in gambling’s grip
by Lerisse Smith
It was a shocking statistic that could not be ignored.
New research from The Australia Institute revealed this year that 600,000 Australian children – nearly one-third of all 12- to 17-year-olds – are gambling, spending more than $18 million a year. And primary school-aged children are not immune, with increasing exposure via social media, video games, phone gambling apps and, sometimes, their own families.
Gambling is invading young lives, luring hundreds of thousands of children with flashy games and the illusion of easy money. The Salvos’ Gambling Support Service is sounding the alarm, exposing the true cost of this trend and working with schools, families, and community and industry groups in Melbourne’s City and Inner North areas to tackle the issue.
“Children are involved in gambling and are often starting at a young age,” said Kirrily Mitchell, Community Engagement Practitioner with the Salvos’ Gambling Support Service.
“Teens are now more likely to bet on sport, rather than play it, according to The Australia Institute study.”
Andy Brydon, Salvos Gambler’s Help Therapeutic Counsellor, explained that sports betting can often begin in school
WhatsApp groups, where it is normalised, sometimes with access to parents’ credit cards or through bypassing age restrictions altogether.
“Gambling ads are [also] designed to appeal to young minds – fast-paced, colourful, gamified, and backed by celebrities. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch amplify the appeal, with influencers live-streaming gambling sessions, often sponsored by betting companies and curated to look like big wins are the norm,” he said.
For kids and adolescents, these give extensive exposure to the whole gambling world through many different avenues.
The whole gaming scene can really contribute to gambling harm later on, Kirrily commented.
With gambling advertising saturated in Australia’s media landscape, Kirrily says talking with children about online games is critical, especially because so many are laced with elements that mimic gambling.
‘Loot boxes’ in many online games are a key example – deceptively innocent reward systems that are, in essence, gambling in disguise.
“They are a really stark example of what it is like,” she remarked. “This is early-onset
saturation in getting kids exposed to gambling through things like that.”
And it doesn’t stop there.
Some popular online games have let players walk into virtual casinos to play games such as blackjack – complete with the thrills and promise of winning money – but without any of the warnings.
It all adds up to children often making countless microtransactions, with the line between gaming and gambling never more dangerously blurred.
Help available
The Victorian Department of Healthfunded program titled ‘Be Ahead of the Game’, teaches children to think critically about the intertwined worlds of gaming and gambling – and how to recognise the traps, the relentless advertising impacts, and the subtle incentives pushing them to spend.
The mission is clear: to show students they don’t have to gamble if they don’t want to.
The main message is that if someone chooses to gamble when over 18, maybe
buying a Tatts ticket for fun once or twice a year, that is fine. But it must be within their means, without chasing losses. Feeling in control is key, whether it’s gaming or gambling, and not being controlled by addiction.
The program also champions good mental health and normalises early helpseeking behaviours. It also tackles myths head-on, highlighting the real financial, emotional and social costs of gambling.
Ultimately, the goal is not prohibition – it is awareness. Informed choices. And helping the students feel like they are in control.
Adult support
Parents and teachers also play a crucial role.
Kirrily’s advice is to stay engaged, ask questions, and be curious, while remaining non-judgmental and supportive when kids share their feelings.
She encourages parents to understand what’s going on and learn how they can help, including talking openly with their children and showing interest in what
they’re doing or playing, making it easier for kids to open up.
One confronting fact she shares with kids and adults is that Australians lose a staggering $32 billion each year to gambling.
“People don’t realise it can be a very silent harm,” she explained.
“Because people don’t say, ‘Oh, I just lost $100,000.’ They might tell you, ‘Oh, I’ve won $50,’... And so, it’s hidden. People don’t realise that we lose the most in the world to gambling, per capita.”
A core message also delivered is the protective power of self-esteem.
Children who feel good about themselves are far less likely to turn to excessive gambling, drugs or alcohol for a boost.
Safety is front and centre too. Children often believe they are playing with peers – but that’s not always the case.
Andy also noted how vulnerable adolescent brains are: their reward systems develop before their ability to assess risk.
That imbalance makes teens especially susceptible to addictions. And early exposure can lead to lifelong struggles –with substance use, anxiety, depression and poor concentration among the risks.
Hope is real
Yet, despite the dangers, both Andy and Kirrily see hope. Reduced advertising, increased education, parental engagement, and breaking down stigma and helpseeking shame are all crucial steps.
Kirrily added that one of the most effective safeguards was to help kids find joy in their everyday lives – and feel comfortable in their own skin.
Looking ahead, she hopes the Department of Health’s ‘Be Ahead of the Game’ program, The Bridge, designed for younger children, will bring these crucial conversations into primary schools.
“It is one step at a time,” Kirrily said.
To read the full story, go to salvosonline. org.au
Gambling service committed to change
The gambling industry is a booming one in Melbourne – and it is devastating lives and families. Salvos journalist Lerisse Smith spoke with Michael Kheirallah, Manager of the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Gambling Support Service*, about the critical role it plays in the community – and beyond.
What services do you provide to the community?
We provide counselling for people who are impacted by gambling harms, community education and financial counselling. We have community educators who go out to universities, schools and community groups to tell them about gambling harms and to try to minimise them.
We also have financial counsellors who go directly to clients and can assist with small funding grants, if needed, to get them out of trouble, as sometimes, the result of gambling is that they may lose all their money and homes. We also have venue support workers who go out to gambling venues and train the staff on different legislation to make sure they comply with State Government standards.
What are the most common forms of gambling addictions you work with?
We find mostly males are addicted to gambling, but sometimes it can affect the whole family. The common forms of gambling addictions include casinos, sports betting and online gambling. The
Michael, right, and his team, regularly promote the work of the Gambling Support Service.
reasons people gamble include personal issues, depression, anxiety, no purpose in life, family issues and family violence.
What impacts does gambling have?
It can lead to family violence, mental health issues, drug and alcohol abuse. It’s not just about losing your money.
Is there hope for the future?
After the Royal Commission, many things have changed, and there is a big push now on the Federal Government to ban gambling ads on social media and TV. It is going to take a long time. But we are very committed.
To read the full story, go to salvosonline. org.au
*Previously called the Melbourne Counselling Service
Engaging the disengaged in Colac
What began as a modest social program at Colac Salvos has evolved into one of the most dynamic and transformative forces for youth in the township.
‘The Drop-In’ at the Salvos Community Centre in regional Victoria is integrating into the curriculum of two local secondary schools and emerging as a lifeline of connection and purpose for disengaged youth.
“The Drop-In has created flexible learning spaces,” said Josiah Van Niekerk, Colac Salvos Leader. “We are just trying to engage the disengaged through creating relational and community connections. The Drop-In’s motto is ‘a space for youth, shaped by youth’, and being part of the school curriculum is great. The school engagement has been massive, and another four started last month.”
The Drop-In is part of the Colac Salvos’ Engage program, which connects the six schools.
At the heart of it lies a deep and growing need for flexibility, belonging and alternative ways of learning for young people who do not thrive in traditional school environments.
The Drop-In gives students the chance to reconnect – with each other, with caring adults and with a renewed sense of purpose.
Around 100 young people pass through the Salvos centre each week, engaging in a mix of activities aimed at educational and personal growth.
Colac students take part in civil engagement duties including helping in the kitchen and creating artworks.
More than attendance, The Drop-In is about transformation. Students are learning life skills including responsibility, teamwork and how to give back to their local community.
Future hopes
The Salvos team is applying for a grant to bring someone on board to lead the program. The hope is to eventually have 200 to 300 students cycling through the community centre every year.
Even without the funding, plans are in place to start Engage in its first primary school next term, with 13 students coming across weekly.
With the community rallying behind them, Josiah and his Salvos team are excited and energised about what lies ahead. – Lerisse Smith
To read the full story, go to salvosonline.org.au/post/ engaging-the-disengaged-in-colac
SAES marks work of Reserve Forces
The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) team provided catering for attendees at the recent Reserve Forces Day in Melbourne, Victoria.
The event, held at the Shrine of Remembrance, acknowledged the more than 1.25 million people who have served in Australia’s Defence Reserves since Federation.
Today, Reserve Forces support peacekeeping, humanitarian and disaster relief operations worldwide, according to Shrine Melbourne.
Reserve Forces Day is observed annually on 6 July, commemorating the establishment of the Citizen Military Forces in 1948.
For over 80 years, the SAES have been trusted by Australians in need, and
SAES teams catered for attendees at Reserve Forces Day, Melbourne.
are proud to partner with government, business and not-for-profit entities to deliver responses and recovery in the wake of large weather events and other crises.
Lions Club chips in for Carinya
The Salvation Army’s Carinya Women and Children’s Service in the Illawarra region (NSW) recently received a $10,000 donation from the Figtree Lions Club in Wollongong.
The proceeds were raised from the club’s annual Charity Golf Day in May.
Carinya offers crisis and transitional housing, along with outreach support, for women and children affected by domestic violence and homelessness in the Illawarra region.
“Here at Carinya, we are so, so grateful
for the Figtree Lions Club’s donation to assist women and children rebuild their lives,” said Carinya Program Manager Sonya Button.
“We became aware of the incredibly supportive service Carinya staff provide to women and children in crisis, and our members wanted to do something to help,” said Bill Simpson, Figtree Lions Club spokesperson. “Business and community members got behind the project because they saw Carinya as a valuable contributor to people in need at a critical time.”
Confessions of a Candy Crusher
Priorities, purpose and who’s
by Belinda Davis
I have a confession to make ... I play Candy Crush. Sometimes I play it a couple of times a day. I have it on my iPad and on my phone, and I have been known to play it on my laptop as well.
I used to have lots of different games on my iPad, but I deleted them when I realised I could waste whole evenings
in control
rotating through them until my ‘lives’ had run out. The only game to survive that cull was Candy Crush.
When I started playing a few years ago, I quickly progressed through all the levels. There were a couple of times, though, when I got stuck on a particular level for a few days and contemplated deleting the game, but I
recalled the hours I had racked up working my way through it all and convinced myself to persist.
Why have I persevered with this game when there are other, more worthwhile activities I am willing to give up at the first sign of difficulty? Exercise, healthy eating, spiritual disciplines, relationships,
study, work – just to name a few!
Candy Crush is a tool I use for relaxation and fun, but I can become a little obsessed if I am trying to beat that one level or pass a friend’s score. When I recognise this competitive feeling rising in me, I know it is time to walk away and take a considerable break. My most recent break was for two years!
It is, after all, only a game and not of any great, life-altering importance. There are not too many life lessons to be gained
from matching three or more shapes in varying degrees of difficulty. When the balance is a little ‘off’, I only return to play when I feel that my perspective has settled back to a more normal rhythm.
While there is nothing wrong with playing Candy Crush for leisure, or any other game for that matter, it is primarily about who is in control – is it me or the game?
In the Bible, the apostle Paul says: “I am allowed to do all things, but not everything is good for me
to do! Even if I am free to do all things, I will not do them if I think it would be hard for me to stop when I know I should,” (1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 12, New Life Version).
This reminds me that I need to carefully consider who (or what) I will allow to be the master of me, my life and my time. I am happy to surrender control to God, not the creators of Candy Crush. I pray I will always keep that perspective, especially when I am trying to beat that next level!
Breaking the chains
Anna recounts the cost of gambling addiction
by Lerisse Smith
On a cold and wet August night, a heated argument between Anna and her husband reached breaking point.
Needing space to cool off, Anna left the house. As she drove around, something caught her eye – a pub with poker machines where she occasionally visited for fun with friends. Anna stopped the car and walked in.
“The lights had literally beckoned from the side of the road,” she recalled. “I knew that it was a safe place for women to go on their own ... it was the first time I had been in a pub on my own, and the first time I had been to use poker machines on my own.
“When I look back on that first night, the machines did what I had learned they were designed to do,” she said. “They are designed to calm you down and zone you out.”
Soon, the urge to use poker machines took hold. After work, Anna began
detouring into venues. Shopping centres with the machines became dangerous territory.
“I tried to stop countless times because I hated what I was doing,” she said. By the time Anna walked away from gambling in 2011, she had spent 10 years battling the hidden addiction.
Breaking the chains
Anna’s personal story took centre stage at the recent Salvos launch of the newly renamed Gambling Support Service (see page 7), where Anna shared her own recovery journey from addiction, her advocacy work, and how gambling devastates lives and livelihoods.
The cost of Anna’s addiction was steep. It eroded her identity, and shame became all-encompassing.
Gambling disconnected her from everything meaningful in her life.
After years of struggling alone, Anna found hope in community, meeting others
who had also experienced gambling harm. They shared insights she had never encountered.
One key lesson stood out: the brain could be retrained.
She reached out to Gambler’s Help, a free 24/7 support service, and started therapy.
Joining a writing group led by Melbourne writer Arnold Zable, who works with marginalised groups of people, introduced Anna to others affected by gambling and encouraged participants to explore their experiences – right down to the smells, sounds and sights of the gambling environment.
Lobbying for change
Anna’s first media appearance was on ABC News Breakfast – not just to tell her story, but to change the way society talked about gambling.
“I realised the language around gambling had made it worse ... and was deeply stigmatising,” she said. “It made it impossible for me to ask for help. Because if I was the problem, I should fix myself.”
The writing group was invited to present the book of their lived experiences, From Ruin to Recovery, at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Now aged in her mid-70s, Anna continues to speak out. She consults with policymakers and is a public speaker with the ReSPIN program, which assists those with lived experience of gambling harm to share their stories to bring positive change within the wider community.
Anna also co-founded Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts (GHLEE). She lobbies politicians and warns of the growing normalisation of gambling among children.
These days, Anna finds joy in spending time with
Anna shares her story at the launch of The Salvation Army’s Gambling Support Service.
her family. While her marriage ended, she is close to her children and grandchildren, who have supported her advocacy work. She also enjoys being with people, music, writing, gardening and places that make her see the world slightly differently.
To anyone struggling with gambling, her
advice is simple: Talk to someone you trust, seek professional help and persevere. “Look for the pieces of your puzzle –and add things back into your life because gambling takes up so much head and physical space.
“I want others to know –you don’t have to be alone.”
Fry chicken thighs in oil. Stir in onions with flour and stock cubes. Gradually stir in 750ml of hot water.
Add carrots and potatoes, bring to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Add peas and cook 5 minutes.
Take off heat and stir through mustard and herbs. Serve on a bed of rice or pasta if desired.
☺ Believe in Good: Tips
9 August – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
“Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity.”
– Robert Alan Aurthur
This week, let’s learn something new about a different culture.
1. What do you call the study of weather, climate and the atmosphere?
2. Which is the most abundant element in the universe?
3. How do you determine the age of a tree?
4. What is the largest desert in the world?
5. Which is the only rock that floats?
On which page of this week’s Salvos Magazine is Tum-Tum hiding?
PHOTO KAREN MASTERS
On this day
9 August 1930
Betty Boop makes her debut in the cartoon, Dizzy Dishes. Created by animator Max Fleischer, she is one of the most recognisable cartoon characters in the world.
12 August 1990
The largest dinosaur fossil is found by American palaeontologist Sue Hendrickson in South Dakota. This fossil of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, thought to have been 4.2m when alive, is now known as Sue.
12 August 1981
The IBM personal computer is stocked in stores for the first time.
✏Answers
5. Pumice Tum-Tum: is hiding behind Anna on page 13.
2. Hydrogen 3. By counting its growth rings 4. Antarctica
Quiz: 1. Meteorology
�� Sudoku
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
What did the mummy elephant say to her child who was misbehaving?
Why was the elephant afraid to go into the computer store?
What did the elephant do when he hurt his toe? Tusk tusk. Because they sell mice.
Called a toe truck.
Bible byte
“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”
