What started out as a social ‘slap’ on the pokies with friends almost cost a young Sunshine Coast family their home.
A local mother has spoken out about the toll of gambling addiction on her family after her husband’s habit spiralled into a crisis.
She is now calling for stronger regulation, better enforcement of safeguards and improved access to urgent support services.
“It started as a social thing. When he caught up with mates at the pub they would go and have a slap on the pokies. When he caught up with mates at home to watch the footy, they would put some multis on,” Lucy said.
“Alcohol and drugs are the same. They are socially acceptable and, for him, it went hand in hand with gambling. Then it became his way of dealing with stress and he would stop in at the pub on the way home and play the pokies alone.”
It quickly escalated into secrecy, financial instability and emotional harm within the household.
“Lying, sneaking, betrayal, stealing, broken promises, letting down the children, letting down family and friends, not following through with work commitments, borrowing money he couldn’t pay back,” she said.
“He got to the point where he was completely irrational and didn’t seem to have any emotion.”
Lucy was also targeted within her own home, with accounts accessed and money moved without permission.
“I couldn’t leave my wallet lying around in my own home. My bank cards were stolen; my cash was stolen. I had to change my passwords on my phone and my apps because my accounts were hacked and money transferred to his account,” she said.
When Lucy sought help through banks and police after reporting financial abuse, she was told limited action could be taken.
“They told me it was a civil matter so there wasn’t much they could do,” she said.
“I called helplines that I found online. Most of them offered counselling but I was in a crisis, and I needed advice on where to go for immediate help and action.”
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Her husband was referred to the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) by a GP and attended Gambling Help Australia in Maroochydore.
“He signed a self-exclusion from gambling venues and activities. However he soon learnt this is not very well policed and, within months, he had worked out where he could still attend and get away with it,” she said.
“He still has the ability to gamble online and the ban only covers the Sunshine Coast so he can still gamble outside of that area.”
Access to rehab was also limited due to cost and wait times.
“The most frustrating part was I couldn’t find anywhere to take him quickly in the window of opportunity we had where he was willing to accept help and wanted it,” she said.
“Once that window of opportunity passed, he thought he was coping okay and could do it on his own, and then the vicious cycle would begin again.”
Lucy is now calling for reform, including restrictions on pokies in venues and stronger controls on gambling advertising and online access.
“I don’t see why pokies are necessary in pubs. WA don’t have them. Gambling shouldn’t be promoted through sport or at all. Gambling shouldn’t be so easily accessible online,” she said.
The state government has launched a new three-year Gambling Harm Action Plan, backed by more than $17 million in funding per year, while the federal government announced a partial ban on gambling advertising, taking effect from January 1 next year.
Independent Member for Noosa Sandy Bolton MP said while the reforms are welcome, they do not go far enough.
“As I raised in parliament, Queenslanders lose more than $6 billion to gambling each year, while one-in-three children, aged 12 to 17, are already gambling and being heavily exposed to gambling advertising and gaming-style apps such as Roblox,” she said.
“There are practical steps that can and should be taken now, including banning gambling advertising on public transport and ending political donations from the gambling industry, as the social and economic costs of inaction are too high.”
Under the new plan, TV gambling ads will be capped at three per hour between 6am and 8.30pm, while radio ads will be banned during school drop-off and pick-up times.
Gambling ads on social media and streaming platforms will be restricted unless users are logged in, over 18 and able to opt out.
The reforms would also prohibit the use of celebrities and athletes in gambling ads, ban odds-style promotions targeting sports fans, and stop gambling advertising in sports venues and on players’ uniforms.
Ms Bolton said Noosa alone recorded more than $2.66 million in poker machine losses in a single month in 2024, with growing impacts on families, mental health, financial hardship and frontline services.
“It is clear current safeguards are not working,” she said.
“Advertising normalises betting for children, with 600,000 under-18s gambling, and fuels $32 billion in annual losses, domestic violence, mental health crises and suicides linked to gambling debts.”
She said urgent reform was needed to address the symptoms and causes of gambling addiction.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said the government was committed to reducing gambling-related harm and strengthening support services for vulnerable Queenslanders.
“The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation developed the Gambling Harm Action Plan in consultation with industry and community stakeholders and is continuing to engage with those stakeholders to support Queenslanders, including young people,” the spokesperson said.
Disclaimer – names have been changed to protect privacy.
