The Government of the Northern Territory (NT) is reviewing the harms of gambling in the federal territory by carrying out a new research into the negative effects which gambling has on various aspects of local people’s lives.
As recently revealed, the Menzies School of Health Research and Roy Morgan Research will investigate the patterns, risks and possible negative consequences associated with gambling, as well as the health and well-being of local citizens. The research is aimed at helping the NT Government to build up more specialised policies and programs primarily focused at minimising gambling-related harm in the federal territory.
Dr. Matt Stevens, who is the project manager and senior research manager at Menzies, explained that a number of important changes have been made in the Northern Territory’s policy since the 2015 survey. Dr. Stevens explained that the then-Government boosted the limits on pokies in pubs from 10 to 20 and in clubs from 45 to 55 back in 2015. He further noted that a change has been made to the way people could load money into local poker machines prior to the survey which took place three years ago.
As explained by Dr. Stevens, since 2014, note acceptors have been progressively installed on poker machines to replace the old coin acceptors. What is more, they allow people to insert an amount of up to AU$1,000 into the machine. This was a major change to the amounts allowed to be inserted in the NT pokies, as previously players were allowed to inserts up to AU$250 in AU$1 coins.
Government’s Gambling Policies Get More Public Health-Oriented
For some time now, Australian gambling policies have become more oriented towards preserving public health, with the reduction of problem-gambling harm being pointed as the major goal of these gambling policies.
According to Dr. Stevens, understanding all the harms related to gambling becomes more important by the day. Understanding whether the harm has been inflicted on the player because of their own gambling habits or because of someone else’s gambling is also a matter of paramount importance. He also explained that it is exactly the indirect harms from a third party’s gambling habits that need to be better looked into so that both researchers and the competent authorities get a better perspective how indirect harms are having such a serious impact on both the social and emotional well-being of local people.
“The 2018 survey will focus on the harms arising from gambling, as well as measuring Territorian’s attitudes towards gambling.” – Dr. Matt Stevens from Menzies School of Health Research
The new research is funded by the Northern Territory Government Community Benefit Fund thanks to a 10% levy on poker machines situated in pubs and casinos. As part of the survey, interviews with about 5,000 residents of the Northern Territory will be held in the period from October to December. The results from the survey will be included in a report for the NT Government, and will also be published on the websites of Menzies and the local Attorney General.
- Author
Daniel Williams
