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A survey by the Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic into the impact of the coronavirus in Australia found a majority reduced their gambling during the first shutdown but about one in 10 increased how often they gambled.
- The Gambling Treatment Clinic at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre is a free and confidential service for gamblers and their family members. Call us on 1800 482 482 to book in. Our clinics are in discreet and easily accessible locations, and we now offer online and phone sessions for those who require it.
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia The Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic aims to provide evidence-based treatment, conduct world-leading research, and translate knowledge to inform practices.
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A University of Sydney study has found that during the first COVID-19 shutdown in Australia, a majority of people reduced the number of times they gambled but most planned to return to previous gambling habits after the shutdown.
“These initial results were a surprise as other studies have shown increases in gambling,” said study lead Associate Professor Sally Gainsbury.
The online survey by the Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic and Technology Addiction Team in the Brain and Mind Centre was conducted in May; further research will be conducted in August and November 2020 to examine the ongoing impacts of gambling venues reopening across Australia.
Associate Professor Sally Gainsbury, who is co-director of the Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic, said the preliminary results indicated that the closure of gambling venues and cancellation of sporting events resulted in a decrease in gambling frequency overall, including for online gambling. However, online gambling was less impacted and people who increased their online gambling were more likely to report experiencing gambling problems, psychological distress and COVID-related financial difficulties.
“There are major policy implications in the immediate and longer term, particularly given the benefits some people experienced from the reduced availability of gambling,” said Associate Professor Gainsbury, from the School of Psychology in the Faculty of Science.
“The lockdown appears to have mostly a positive impact, however those who increased their gambling are arguably at the greatest risk of experiencing significant harms – we need to focus on the ongoing impacts, both in the general population and among vulnerable groups.”
Findings include
- Almost 75 percent of respondents gambled less frequently.
- Median monthly gambling expenditure more than halved.
- Among those experiencing gambling problems, 60 percent decreased how frequently they were gambling, although 25 percent increased their gambling expenditure.
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About the survey
The online research surveyed 764 Australian adults (85 percent male, aged 18-82 years) who had gambled in the past 12 months.
The preliminary results show most participants reporting past-year gambling problems indicated their gambling frequency had decreased during the shutdown. Higher psychological distress and COVID-related financial difficulties appear to be linked to increases in gambling expenditure but not increased gambling frequency. Younger people, who are also more prone to psychological issues from the pandemic according to previous research, were also more likely to report increasing their gambling spend, with greatest increases in gambling spend seen in those aged 18 to 29 years. In general, the median reported monthly gambling spend of survey participants decreased from $450 pre-shutdown to $200.
Several participants reported feeling anxious about gambling venues reopening. One said: “My fear is that I will return to gambling at the same rate as before the shutdown – thus wasting the opportunity of the forced hiatus to reign in my poker machine habit.”
Another said: “Been wonderful to get clean air away from pokies… working with my counsellor in readiness for when they reopen. I’m desperate not to return.”
Associate Professor Gainsbury concludes: “Careful thought should be paid to the lessons of the lockdown in terms of understanding the impact of gambling availability and the likelihood of people searching for alternate activities in the face of restrictions.”
The Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic offers free, confidential services for individuals and families impacted by gambling with no referral needed, funded by the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling. Clients are currently being seen remotely using telephone and video conferencing. To make an appointment phone 1800 482 482 or email us. For referral to services across Australia call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
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An online gambling pilot program launched today by the Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic incorporates effective treatments used in the clinic, for people at home who have started to notice they have a problem.
Initially delayed because of COVID-19, an at-home online pilot gambling treatment that incorporates effective in-clinic treatments is being launched today, during GambleAware Week.
The free pilot, which is available to anyone in NSW is being run by the University of Sydney’s Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic (GTRC) at the Brain and Mind Centre. This program is supported by the Office of Responsible Gambling and funded by the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund.
The GTRC’s senior clinical supervisor, Dr Christopher Hunt, said people interested in participating in the pilot should get in touch and that in-person support was also available for people with complex problems.
It is expected that the program, aimed at people who are just starting to notice they have a gambling problem, will launch as an official trial next year.
“The pandemic has had a range of impacts on people’s mental health, and the area of problem gambling has not been immune,” said Dr Hunt, from the School of Psychology in the Faculty of Science.
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“COVID-19 has highlighted that psychologists need to change the way we think about problem gambling and update the way we work to deliver our services.”
The GTRC will evaluate the effectiveness of the online self-directed treatment option, compared to receiving face-to-face treatment.
The self-directed program, which was developed by GTRC deputy director, Dr Fadi Anjoul, based on the treatment for problem gambling that he developed, rejects the historical understanding of gambling as a ‘brain disease’. Instead, it focuses on helping individuals become aware of unnoticed patterns-of-thought, and then explains how reducing desire to gamble in the future is something that can be trained.
Dr Anjoul says: “Traditional treatment approaches focus on managing uncontrollable urges, but there is no need for anyone to struggle with managing an urge to gamble if they understand how to prevent it from occurring.
“We will of course continue to offer our more intense, face-to-face treatment options for those with more complex needs.”
Dr Hunt adds: “GambleAware Week is really the perfect time to launch this new treatment option, as that is what we want – for people to become more aware of why they gamble, and what they can do to change their gambling habits.”
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About the online program
Those who want help are screened via a quick initial conversation with a psychologist. If they meet certain criteria regarding their gambling and their mental health status, they would then be given access to the program, which they could work through any time and any place that is convenient for them. This would be accompanied by regular phone calls with a psychologist to offer support and check on their progress.
The program consists of five sections, containing a series of videos, demonstrations, and quizzes. They include simulations of gambling sessions, an estimate of a person’s lifetime gambling losses, and myth-dispelling; for example, about how outcomes are programmed into the machine.
The program is designed to be completed over four to six weeks, taking approximately one hour a week. The program is free and open to NSW residents until the end of 2021.
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For more information, and to express interest in participating in the program, people can contact the clinic on 1800 482 482, or email Dr Christopher Hunt.