Thursday, October 19, 2006

A "one-stop shop" treating problem gamblers in Sydney is reporting a 50 per
cent success rate. Run by The Salvation Army in cooperation with the
Fairfield RSL club in Sydney's south-west, The Sydney Problem Gambling
Centre opened in October last year. In its first annual report, published
today, the centre said it had answered 400 telephone inquiries and conducted
561 counselling sessions. "Of those who continue with counselling, (the
centre) has reported a 50 per cent success rate in radically altering the
behaviour of the problem gambler,'' the report said. Gerard Byrne, from the
centre, said its success was attributable to the rare concentration of a
range of services in the one location. "We are offering what we see as a
one-stop shop for people with a gambling problem,'' Mr Byrne said.
"We have gambling intervention workers, or counsellors. We also have
therapists there to provide intervention for depression and anxiety, and to
provide family counselling. "We have a financial counselling service and
located next door to us is a Salvation Army church and community service
centre providing welfare and social assistance. "Added to that, our
telephone help service line diverts to the Salvo Careline for out of hours
support. So in a sense we are there 24/7.'' Problem gamblers from as far
away as Queensland and Wagga Wagga have taken the even-money odds to saving
themselves and their families from the devastating effects of problem
gambling. The typical problem gambler in counselling at the centre is a man
aged between 36 and 46, who is hooked on poker machines and abuses alcohol.
A pioneer in the treatment of problem gamblers in Las Vegas, Rob Hunter, has
been recruited by the Fairfield RSL club to consult on the centre and train
the club's staff on intervention. The coincidence of problem gambling and
alcohol abuse among 80 per cent of all people counselled at the Sydney
centre was higher than at his Las Vegas centre, Dr Hunter said, but not
unexpected.

"The biology of problem gambling is very similar to alcoholism,'' he said.

"They are both chronic and progressive disorders. Both meet the medical
criteria for what constitutes an illness.

"And the pay-off for both is not so much excitement but a numbness, they
like the anaesthetic effect.''

Twenty per cent of all clients assessed by the centre admitted to suicidal
thoughts.

Problem gambling affects more than 1.5 million people around Australia,
including gamblers and their families, and in NSW it's on the rise.