beyond cognition – the gamblers subconscious addiction [

Beyond Cognition – TheGamblers Subconsciousaddiction...addiction...

Bruni Brewin JP

AHA ATMS PACFA ACEP

STATISTICS:

Australian GovernmentProductivity Commission

The Productivity Commission

• The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's independent research and advisory body on a range of economic, social and environmental issues affecting the welfare of Australians. Its role, expressed welfare of Australians. Its role, expressed most simply, is to help governments make better policies, in the long term interest of the Australian community.

The Productivity Commission

• Australian Gambling Statistics for 2006-07 is expected to become available early in 2009, and during the course of this inquiry, the Commission will seek more inquiry, the Commission will seek more current data from governments.

Gambling activity in Australia

• Gambling can be defined as staking money on uncertain events driven by chance, with the distinguishing feature that, over time, gamblers as a group will that, over time, gamblers as a group will lose money.

• Gambling is, thus, more like consumption than investment, with the benefits due to the enjoyment of playing.

Gambling activity in Australia

• The main forms of gambling are gaming machines (or poker machines), wagering and betting on racing and sporting events, casino games, and lottery products such casino games, and lottery products such as lotto games and instant lotteries.

The gambling industries

• The ‘gambling industries’ consist of organisations that provide gambling services, such as clubs (hospitality and sporting), hotels (pubs, taverns and bars), sporting), hotels (pubs, taverns and bars), casinos, TABs, sports betting organisations and lottery organisations. Each has some characteristics in common, but also there are some significant differences.


• The most recently available ABS data on gambling services in Australia are for 2004-05. According to those data, around $16.5 billion in revenue was generated by $16.5 billion in revenue was generated by gambling businesses in 2004-05,


• consisting of $15.5 billion in net takings (turnover less payouts of prize money) and $1 billion in commissions (monies received by organisations acting as hosts received by organisations acting as hosts for the sale of off-course TAB products, lottery tickets, Keno and gaming machine services (ABS 2006).


• The largest source of net takings was gaming machines in hotels and clubs with $8.7 billion (or 56 per cent of total net takings). Gambling businesses generated takings). Gambling businesses generated around $3 billion in profit (before tax) in 2004-05.


• With the exception of casinos, the number of businesses providing gambling services fell considerably from 1998 to 2005 though, aggregate real spending on though, aggregate real spending on gambling has continued to rise.


• A particular area of community interest is the availability of gaming machines, given the major role they have in problem gambling. There are currently just under gambling. There are currently just under 200 000 licensed gaming machines in use, with most being in clubs and hotels, compared with around 185 000 in 1999.


However, the number of machines is not the only consideration. There are at least six other features relevant to the impacts of gaming machines:of gaming machines:

• the characteristics of gaming machines (playing speed, denomination, structure of payouts, and game types) and the intensity of use...


• the distribution of machines among different socio-economic areas

• the number of venues• the number of machines per venue• the number of machines per venue• their accessibility to the community• competitive pressures to maximise use of

machines.


• For instance, in Western Australia, gaming machines are available at the Burswood Casino only.

• In contrast, in New South Wales, gaming • In contrast, in New South Wales, gaming machines are available in thousands of venues.

• All other things being equal, these differences can be expected to influence the social and economic impacts of gambling in the two States.

Gambling expenditure

• Data from the Australian Gambling Statistics 1980-81 to 2005-06, prepared by the Queensland Government Treasury, show that Australians ‘spent’ about $17.5 show that Australians ‘spent’ about $17.5 billion in 2005-06 on gambling or about $1100 per capita (adult) or 2.9 per cent of household disposable income.


• This expenditure represents the annual net losses (or the amount wagered less any winnings) of gamblers as a group in Australia. Australia.

• Its significance compares with household expenditure in 2005-06 of about $11 billion on gas, electricity and other fuel, $11 billion on alcoholic beverages and $20 billion on clothing and footwear.


• there is little utility in seeking to measure the exact numbers of problem gamblers. As noted, such a definitive result is probably a conceptual and empirical impossibility.

• Moreover, whether the actual number of problem gamblers is 1, 2 or 3 per cent of the population, it equates to hundreds of thousands of Australians, with many more who are directly affected by their problems or are at risk.


• The costs of problem gambling included financial and emotional impacts on gamblers and on others, with on average at least five other people affected to varying degrees.

• For example, one in ten problem gamblers said they had contemplated suicide due to gambling and nearly half of those in counselling reported losing time from work or study in the previous year due to gambling.


• In its 1999 report, the Commission found that counselling services for problem gamblers served an essential role, but that there was a lack of monitoring and that there was a lack of monitoring and evaluation of different approaches, and funding arrangements in some jurisdictions were too short term.

G-LINE NEWS 16/5/2008

• the text of the slides used in the G-line presentation at the recent NSW Problem Gambling Counsellors Conference during the ‘hot topics’ session:the ‘hot topics’ session:

• In it, Kaga Bryan described a typical response by G-line operators to three different types of caller. They are the long-term chronic gambler, the partner, and the regular caller who is distressed.


Call 1: The long-term chronic gambler· Has been gambling for a long while1. Something has happened that day or the

day before and now they are brokeday before and now they are broke2. Their partner is threatening to Leave3. They’ve hit ‘rock bottom’


• G-line Response:· debrief and counselling1. provide strategies2. ascertain the motivation for calling today2. ascertain the motivation for calling today3. provide resources initially and on-going

support4. referral for face-to-face counselling


Call 2: The partner· Concerned with how to broach the issue1. Currently at pre-confrontation with the

gambler - unsure how to engage in the gambler - unsure how to engage in the discussion

2. Distressed at their situation and the effect on their relationship


• G-line Response:· suggest they explain to the gambler how

the gambling is affecting them1. non- confrontational discussion1. non- confrontational discussion2. express the message “Dislike the

gambling, not the person”3. referral for face-to-face counselling


Call 3: The regular caller – distressed• Immediate desire to gamble• They know G-line and have spoken to us

beforebefore• They know we will be there to help them• They have been invited on a previous call

to contact us when this situation occurs


G-line Response:• explore immediate alternatives1. keep the caller active on the phone for a

while - behavioural and cognitive while - behavioural and cognitive distraction

2. praise the caller for calling3. discuss ‘triggers’ and what has happened

today to initiate this


4. discuss what else they can do with their time in future

5. referral for face-to-face counselling

The Client...

1. Booking advice to clienta. Expectancy of outcomeb. Fees and length/time of sessionc. Let your client know that if it is habit most people

will stop gambling in a short number of sessions.will stop gambling in a short number of sessions.d. Advise client that if there is a stress that gambling is

helping him(her) cope with – that stress will need to be addressed first.

e. Ask client to bring with them a list of any past history from (d.) above.

The Questioning

• What do they know about their gambling:• When did it start (how many years ago –

how old were you)?• What are the triggers?• What are the triggers?• What makes it worse? When is it not a

problem?• What strategies do they use that work?• What are feelings that need to be dealt

with?

The Questioning

• What have they tried before?• How effective was this?• What else could they do?• Are they on medication?• Are they on medication?• Have they suffered any illnesses or

anxieties or trauma?• How is it affecting their relationship?• How does that make them feel?

Questioning

• Have you ever been bullied, sexually abused, other?

• Do you have or have had any injuries or illnesses?illnesses?

• Are you on medication and if so, what for?• Do you have any other problems, i.e.

Asthma, don’t sleep well etc.• Anything else that you think might be worth

mentioning to do with your problem?

Hypnosis

• A matter of choice...– Emotional Freedom Technique– Traumatic Incident Reduction– Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing– Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing– Ideo Motor questioning– Metaphors/story telling– Transactional Analysis (Parent, Adult, Child)– NLP– Anchoring– Regression to original feeling etc.

Hypnosis

If anybody wants the research figures shown please send me an email and I will send a pdf file of these slides

Email: [email protected]

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