The Gambling Impact Society started in the Shoalhaven and has spread statewide. Photo: Envato @Lobachad.
What began as one woman’s confronting discovery of a family member’s gambling addiction has, 25 years on, become a statewide movement reshaping how NSW understands and responds to gambling harm.
Born in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region, the Gambling Impact Society (GIS) now stands as a pioneering force powered by lived experience, grassroots advocacy and a determination to “break down the stigma”.
Founder Dr Kate Roberts, a social worker and accredited mental health professional, said the organisation was born out of personal adversity, and today boasted advocates in the Shoalhaven, Illawarra and throughout the state.
“I found out a family member had a binge-type gambling problem,” she said.
“While we went through that journey over several years before I moved to the Shoalhaven, I was astonished from a professional perspective, because there were only four gambling counsellors in the whole state.
“As a family member, having found this out, it was quite shocking for me at the time.
“Although I’ve been a social worker for years, I knew nothing about gambling and gambling harms.”
Dr Roberts said the struggle fuelled not only her own personal pathway, but propelled her into lifelong advocacy for individuals and families affected by gambling.
She said while it took different forms in the early days, it was always driven by those with lived experience and their family members.
Throughout its history, GIS has pioneered lived experience driven programs, most notably Consumer Voices – an innovative initiative that trains people with experience of gambling harm to become public educators and advocates.
The program features residential retreats, mentoring, media training with experienced journalists, and ongoing support for speakers as they share their stories with communities statewide.
Dr Roberts credits GIS’ successes to its community-based ethos: the management committee is comprised primarily of people with lived experience, many of whom are also program speakers.
“For them, it’s about making a difference,” she said.
“They’ve been on this journey with gambling harms and they know that it’s a very stereotyped and stigmatised public health issue, and they want to break down those barriers.
“And that’s the aim of the project.”
Dr Roberts said new advocates went through a basic screening to ensure they were suitable, before undergoing training, with most ending up as advocate speakers.
She said while often they opted to speak outside their hometowns, the confidence they gained and public affirmation from sharing their story often led them to wanting to make a difference within their own communities.
“When all of the evaluations come back, all of them say the most important part of the presentation was hearing the lived experience,” she said.
“They get that feedback from us about the difference it’s making to people and so they overcome their fears and learn skills that might take them in other directions.
“People have gone to do other kinds of courses and programs, developed new skills for life, and every one of them says it’s strengthened their own recovery journey.”
Over the past quarter century, GIS has expanded from local efforts in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra to serve all of NSW, with recent support from the Office of Responsible Gambling enabling a three-year funding horizon.
Despite ongoing financial uncertainty, the society has persisted in delivering training, including to other health and welfare organisations, developing educational resources, working with NSW GambleAware, and supporting individuals and families affected by gambling.
“We ran on the smell of an oily rag for many years, with most of us doing a lot of voluntary work,” she said.
Looking ahead, GIS continues to advocate for broader awareness, better support for treatment and prevention, and expanded opportunities for those with lived experience to shape the conversation.
“People need to know where the support services are and not label people as major contributors to their own downfall, but understand it within the enmeshed process,” she said.
The Gambling Impact Society committee of management meets virtually on the second Thursday of the month from 6-8 pm. Those interested can contact Dr Roberts on [email protected].
If you or someone you know needs support, contact NSW GambleAware on 1800 858 858.
