Kingston event shines a light on gambling harm
A free community event featuring real-life stories will help shine a light on gambling harm in our community.
Kingston Council is hosting a free performance of ‘What’s Your Gamble?’ to mark Gambling Harm Awareness Week (7–13 October).
The event is being delivered with funding from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.
Mayor Georgina Oxley said the event was part of Council’s ‘Enough is Enough’ community campaign to reduce the impact of gambling in Kingston.
Last financial year $85 million dollars was lost on pokies across the City of Kingston. The cost to the community per day is more than $234 thousand dollars.
Presented by Three Sides of the Coin, ‘What’s Your Gamble?’ is an emotional and confronting collage of personal stories told with courage and humour. The performers are not actors but people with lived personal experience of gambling harm.
“The performance shines a light on an important health issue that needs to be urgently addressed in our community,” Cr Oxley said.
“Community members losing $234,798 a day on pokies, is too big a cost to our community. Pokie addiction needs to be recognised as a public health risk.
“We encourage all of the community to go along to the free event on 9 October, as this is an issue that affects the entire community.”
The performance will be held at the Chelsea Community Church of Christ at 9am with a free big breakfast served from 7am.
Gambling Harm Awareness Week runs from 7–13 October and is designed to encourage community discussions about why gambling harm matters. This year’s theme is It’s time to TALK. SHARE. SUPPORT.
