The RGF (originally the Casino Community Benefit Fund) was established in 1995 to help those affected by problem gambling. Funded through a specific gaming levy, the RGF is governed by a group of Trustees, supported by staff from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing. The Trustees make recommendations to the Minister for Gaming and Racing on how the fund’s income will be spent. RGF funding is directed toward three specific areas to reduce the negative impacts of gambling:

• counselling services;
• research; and
• education/awareness initiatives.

Since 1995, the Trustees of the RGF have overseen the investment of over $100 million to help people with gambling problems and those close to them – through services staffed by highly skilled counsellors, research, raising awareness of the problem, and a range of other important community projects. In that time we estimate RGF-funded face-to-face services have reached upwards of 40,000 individuals with gambling problems.

In 1995, baseline RGF research identified significant gaps in counselling and support services for people with gambling problems, especially in rural and regional NSW. Today, the RGF funds over 150,000 counselling hours each year, delivered through more than 40 services from well over 100 separate locations throughout NSW. The services include those designed to reach people from particular populations, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as services providing legal and financial counselling assistance. And all services are offered free for those who need them. Underpinning this network is the 24-hour G-line (NSW) telephone advice and referral service, which takes around 10,000 target calls annually. In recent client follow-up surveys conducted by G-line (NSW), up to 90% of people with gambling problems who’ve used RGF-funded counselling services report being ‘better able to manage their gambling’ when they are called back one, three and six months later. In 2008/09 we have allocated $10.3 million, an 8% increase over the previous year. In addition, all RGF-funded counselling services are working towards formal accreditation, which includes a minimum qualification for counsellors – the Diploma of Problem Gambling Counselling. We have also introduced a code of ethics for all services and clinical supervision arrangements are extending across the sector. These initiatives will continue to ensure those seeking help can be provided with the highest quality of service.

Since 1995, we have funded close to 50 separate research projects, allowing us to better understand problem gambling and tackle it more effectively. We began with a study that provided a clear snapshot of the problem in NSW: the number of people affected; the costs and the available services. Since then, studies have ranged widely across areas such as:

• how people use gambling counselling services;
• how gambling environments can be made safer for people who may have gambling problems; and
• the impact of gambling and problem gambling on particular population groups (e.g. young people, Aboriginal people, the homeless, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds). NSW has also joined with other Australian Governments to fund Gambling Research Australia – the national gambling research program – with the RGF contributing $1.5 million over four years. This research is used broadly to guide improvements in service delivery, and to inform overall government decision-making in this very challenging field of public policy.

The RGF has funded several successful campaigns raising community awareness of the G-line (NSW) service, including Gambling Hangover. At a local level, the gambling counselling services we fund also work to raise awareness of the issue and ensure that people in their communities know where to turn if they are experiencing problems.

If you’d like to know more about the work of the Responsible Gambling Fund, contact:

Telephone: 9995 0993
Email: rgf@olgr.nsw.gov.au
Website: www.olgr.nsw.gov.au