Women and Problem Gambling

Opening doors to women

In 2007 WIRE conducted research into women experiencing problem gambling and vulnerable through social isolation. The aim of the project was to identify how to increase this client group’s access to support services and to improve the support they receive once they make contact.

The outputs of the project include a resource and training for organisations and professionals who work with women experiencing these issues. Read more...

The perils of the pokies

In 2005 WIRE launched the report, ‘Perils of Pokies: Research into the information needs of older women and families’. The report identified stages that older women commonly went through as they developed and then recovered from a gambling problem.

Project outputs included two brochures and a poster to raise awareness of the warning signs that someone is developing a problem with gambling. Read more...

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Opening doors to women: assistance for organisations working with women experiencing problem gambling and isolation.

In 2007 WIRE conducted research into women with problem gambling, especially those who might be socially isolated. This work resulted in a new resource guide aimed at improving these women’s access to and experience of support services.

This guide is intended not only for specialist gambler’s support services, but for any service or worker whose female clients may be experiencing problem gambling and social isolation.

The guide is available for download here (pdf 3Mb).

Also available in smaller sections for easier download

Opening Doors - Introduction and Section 1 (pdf 1Mb)

Opening Doors - Section 2 and Section 3 (pdf 1.4 Mb)

Opening Doors - Appendices (pdf 750 KB)

About the project

Since the introduction of Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) in Victoria in 1992, the number of women presenting themselves to Gambler’s Help for assistance has increased both in total and as a percentage of clients overall.

As a component of its “Taking action on problem gambling” strategy the Victorian Government funded WIRE – Women’s Information to conduct research into women experiencing problem gambling and vulnerable through social isolation.

The research, conducted from February to November 2007 collected the stories and experiences of forty-one women experiencing these problems as well as professionals who work to support these women.  Gambling support services were instrumental in guiding this project and gave feedback throughout, including through their active participation on the steering committee as well as through interviews with forty five individuals.

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Key findings

The research demonstrated a link between problem gambling and social isolation. For some women, feeling socially isolated is one of the reasons they take up gambling in the first place; for others, social isolation is the result of their problem gambling, as it erodes their relationships with family and friends. Often, both of these dynamics are in play and serve to reinforce each other.

Women experiencing problem gambling and social isolation exist right across the spectrum of our society. This research identified factors that contribute to vulnerability, such as experiencing violence, relocation, grief, unresolved trauma and living alone. Certain groups shown to be at greater risk included carers, older women, CALD and Indigenous women.

The shame and stigma women with problem gambling feel further contributes to their social isolation and acts as a significant barrier to them seeking help. Sometimes these barriers are only overcome by the extraordinary courage of individual women when they find themselves in extreme crisis.

Women’s experience of shame and stigma is qualitatively different to men’s because of the different societal expectations placed on women in their historically assigned gender roles. These roles also entail obligations, such as being primary carers, which affect their access to services in a very practical way.

Implications for service delivery

It was extremely important to the women interviewed that the organisation they went to for help with their problem gambling felt friendly and approachable and that they felt they could establish a caring, personal relationship with a worker.

The research indicated that for women to access and continue to use a support service they need a range of ways to make initial contact, such as telephone, email and the availability of supporting information. Flexible approaches for intake and counselling, flexible operating hours, outreach visits, childcare and drop-in facilities were also recommended.

Because of women’s experience of shame and stigma organisations need to reinforce their female clients’ rights to privacy. Women need to be reassured that services have processes in place to protect their confidentiality and that they are scrupulously adhered to.

Women said that the intake process needs to be immediate, transparent, flexible, non-judgemental and uncomplicated. Follow-up support, such as contacting the woman if she misses an appointment, was also highly valued.

Approaches that consider the whole woman are critical, and issues underlying problem gambling, such as social isolation, should be addressed once good client/worker relationships are built. Facilitating social interaction through face-to-face and online group work, and improving social connectedness through referrals, such as to Neighbourhood Houses or volunteering opportunities, would assist in this process.

Organisations also need mechanisms to deal with women in crisis situations, such as those experiencing financial distress, job difficulties or family violence.

“ Keeping the door open” for women once the service has ended was another highly valued factor identified by the women we spoke to.

About the guide

The women-sensitive service response model presented in the ‘Opening Doors’ guide is informed by the collective knowledge and experience of female clients and service providers. The guide is intended to act as a support for organisations to implement gender-sensitive services to women, and to facilitate learning in practice. It is anticipated that the model will be adapted and supplemented by organisations as they implement its recommendations.

The guide contains a service response model for supporting women who are experiencing problem gambling and who may be vulnerable through social isolation. The principles and practices recommended were generated from the experience and knowledge of women experiencing these problems as well as service providers.

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Section 1

Understanding women and problem gambling: This section summarises the research findings and gives the broad social context of women experiencing problem gambling – what motivates them, what prevents them from seeking help? The links between women, problem gambling and social isolation are explored. Groups of women vulnerable to social isolation are identified. Recommended responses are briefly outlined.

Section 2

Women-sensitive principles and strategies: This section provides a quick reference guide. It outlines the overarching women-sensitive principles and policy level considerations, and provides handy checklists of strategies for improving service delivery that are further explored in section 3.

Section 3

Developing women-sensitive practice: This section gives voice to the practical experiences of the women and professionals interviewed during the research phase. It provides an in-depth discussion of the strategies outlined in Section 2 and will aid managers, team leaders and counsellors to explore these issues, reflect upon their current practice with women and consider implementing the recommended changes.

Appendix A

Training outline: This section provides an outline of a training module WIRE has developed as part of this project to build the capacity of organisations to implement the model.

Appendix B

Research methodology: Describes how the research was conducted and who was involved.

Appendix C

Resources: A condensed list of just some of the services available to support women with the diverse range of issues they may be experiencing along with their problem gambling and possible social isolation. There is also a short list of suggested readings for those interested in exploring this field further as well as other practice guides that are available.

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The perils of pokies

WIRE Women's Information completed this project in 2005. It looked at the information needs of older women with gambling problems, or at risk of developing them, and their families.

This project was an initiative of the Victorian Government's Problem Gambling Community Partnership Strategy, funded through the Community Support Fund.

Project partners were Gambler's Help (City), Women's Health Goulburn North East, Women's Health West, and the Financial and Consumer Rights Council.
You can download a copy of the report here (pdf 880Kb).

Information kit

One of the outcomes of the project is an information kit that encourages women to look out for changes in their behaviour and seek further information and support before their pokie playing becomes a significant problem.

The kit also gives advice to family and friends on how to approach women they suspect have a problem with the pokies, and where to access further information and support for themselves.

The kit comprises two brochures - a brochure for players (pdf 850Kb) and a brochure for friends (pdf 670Kb) and a poster pdf (235Kb), which can be viewed by clicking on the preceding links or sent to you free of charge by contacting us 1300 134 130, email us or fax a publication form (pdf 235Kb) to 03 9921 0888.

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Where can I get help?

In Victoria:

Call WIRE on 1300 134 300 (for the cost of a local call across the state) and talk things through with a skilled and sensitive woman.

Call Gambler's Help on 1800 156 789 to talk to trained, experienced people who understand what you are going through. It is a free and confidential service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can talk over the phone, or, if you prefer, meet with a counsellor in a safe, confidential environment. Financial counselling is also available to help address debt and money management issues.

Outside Victoria:
Contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for a referral to your local gambler's help specialist service or visit Relationships Australia


Key findings

• For the fifteen women aged 45 to 75 who were interviewed for this research, playing Electronic Gaming machines (the pokies) was the only form of gambling they had problems with.

• Often older women are vulnerable to developing a problem with the pokies because they feel overwhelmed by troubles in their lives. They turn to the pokies as an escape, a way to ’zone out’.

• Women usually begin playing pokies as a social activity with friends. They see it as an innocent pastime.

• Pokie venues are one of the few places older women feel safe and welcome to go by themselves.

• Once they start going alone, women can easily lose track of the time and money they’ve spent.

• For women at this stage of life, often on a low income, a very small amount of money spent at the pokies can have an enormous impact on their quality of life.

• All said that, in retrospect, it was when they first started going alone to the pokies that their playing started to get out of control.

• The following have been identified as stages older women commonly go through in developing a problem:

  • Social
  • Solo
  • Habitual
  • Secretive
  • Enchanted
  • Turbulent
  • Cognisant
  • Alleviated

• It was found that during these stages women’s receptivity to information varies. In particular, once women move on to become habitual players their receptivity to information drops away until they reach crisis point (the ‘cognisant’ stage).
• Participants felt current public campaigns about problem gambling didn’t apply to them and their particular situation. They also said that once they were ‘under the spell’ of the pokies, nothing would get through to them, by then it was too late.
• These are new findings that should significantly improve the impact of campaigns directed at this issue.

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Warning signs to look out for include:

• Playing the pokies to ‘zone out’
• Losing track of time
• Spending more money than planned
• Staying on after family and friends have left
• Going alone
• Becoming secretive about going to play the pokies
• Feeling anxious about being seen playing the pokies
• Feeling bad about playing the pokies

Case studies

Read case studies of the women with problem gambling who participated in the report.