Most Australian adults have a bet at some time, whether it's on Lotto,
the Melbourne Cup, or on gaming machines. But for some, gambling can become a big problem that affects not only their own life, but the lives of their families as well.

Responsible Gambling Week 2009 is being held on May 11-16. During the week, clubs, pubs across NSW, the casino and the NSW Government are getting together to educate people about what problem gambling is, how it can affect people, and where to go for help.

But we need your creative genius to do it!

Your challenge is to create an artwork that educates people about the impact of problem gambling on families. What makes it an even tougher challenge is that your artwork must be no bigger than 95mm x 95mm – the size of a drink coaster used in pubs and clubs.

Eleven regional winners will each win an 8 GB iPod Touch. They will then become finalists in the state-wide competition.

The overall state winner will also receive an Olympus E520 digital SLR camera worth almost $1,000. They will have their artwork printed on 100,000 coasters and distributed to pubs and clubs state-wide to help educate people about responsible gambling.

The judges will be looking for entries that:

• Gambling venue patrons will be able to understand at a glance
• Are unmistakeably about the issue of problem gambling.
• Educate people on the signs and symptoms that they should look for that might indicate their gambling is a problem.
• However, the judges WON’T be favouring any artwork that is violent, offensive or which contains bad language.

    Learn about the signs of problem gambling here.