Pastoral approach to gambling

SOCIAL welfare agency St Luke’s has a new approach to tackle problem gambling – reaching out to workers at the Bendigo region’s gaming venues.St Luke’s will today launch its new venue support worker program, aimed at helping staff at gaming venues recognise and assist potential problem gamblers.The initiative comes as a new Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation survey of gaming venue managers and staff showed about two-thirds were less than comfortable to approach someone with a gambling problem and that almost 10 per cent had never been instructed on dealing with problem gamblers.Trevor Rice is one of 26 Gamblers Help venue support workers across Victoria and covers 23 venues in the area from Gisborne and Maryborough to Swan Hill and Echuca.“I go and work out with the venues what training they require. Most venues are looking at how to approach people, and I think it’s a confidence thing,” he said.“We’ve had some good responses. Some are very proactive, and all of the managers are very positive about the program.”Mr Rice said a problem gambler may exhibit one of more than 100 signs, including playing for long periods, attachment to a particular machine, aggression and continued visits to ATMs.Bendigo Stadium chief executive officer Eric Pascoe said Mr Rice began training staff at the stadium last week after he initiated a meeting with Mr Rice and Gamblers Help counsellors at St Luke’s.“The stadium is a community organisation, and we wanted to be a leader in helping problem gamblers and take a very active approach.”