Gambling Screening: Identifying and addressing gambling harm

Ensuring gambling harm isn’t overlooked

Gambling harm is often unspoken, unrecognised, and untreated, yet it significantly intersects with substance use and mental health (Hing et al., 2015). Many people experiencing gambling harm do not seek gambling-specific help, making alcohol and drug treatment services a critical point for early intervention (Yarbakhsh et al., 2023). In Queensland alone, almost 30,000 people are estimated to experience high-risk gambling (Department of Justice and Attorney-General, 2024).

At Lives Lived Well, we are committed to ensuring that gambling harm is not overlooked. That’s why we provide free screening training for clinicians, AOD workers, and other frontline professionals. Our training equips you with practical tools to identify gambling harm, initiate conversations with clients, and integrate brief interventions into your existing practice.

Why screen for gambling harm?

People seeking help for AOD and mental health concerns are at significantly higher risk of experiencing gambling harm.

A snapshot of clients seeking AOD treatment at Lives Lived Well

In a sample of over 8,000 people seeking treatment for AOD concerns:

  • Over half engage in gambling, and among them, nearly 1 in 3 experience high-risk gambling.
  • High-risk gambling is over four times more likely when methamphetamine use is present compared to alcohol use, and over than three times more likely compared to cannabis use. However, as many AOD clients use multiple substances, these risks do not exist in isolation and often overlap.
  • Women seeking AOD treatment experience gambling harm at rates higher than in the general population, highlighting the need for universal screening, regardless of gender. At Lives Lived Well, men are 1.25 times more likely to experience high-risk gambling compared to 3.4 times more in the general population (Dellosa & Browne, 2024).

Routine gambling screening in AOD and mental health settings removes assumptions about who is affected and ensures that no one slips through the cracks. Early identification allows clinicians to offer timely interventions, preventing escalation and improving overall recovery outcomes.

What does the gambling screening training cover?

Our free training equips clinicians with the skills to screen, identify, and respond to gambling harm. The session covers:

  • Recognising gambling harm and its impact on AOD and mental health recovery
  • The strong link between gambling, substance use, and mental health concerns. Additionally, the varying impacts that different substances can have on a persons gambling behaviour.
  • Using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) as a screening tool
  • Brief interventions—how to initiate meaningful conversations and support clients
  • Practical, evidence-based strategies to integrate into your existing practice

Whether you work in AOD, mental health, or community services, this training helps you confidently address gambling harm within your role.

Book a workshop or access the online course

  • Face-to-Face training:
    We offer free in-person workshops across Queensland, tailored to your workplace or community service. The sessions run for two hours and include access to online resources. To organise a workshop, contact:

Georgia Dellosa, Gambling screening training coordinator | 1300 727 957 | [email protected]

Upcoming events

We regularly run Problem Gambling Screening and Brief Intervention Workshops throughout the year. To find the next available session, visit our Eventbrite page.

By embedding routine gambling screening into AOD and mental health services, we can reach those who may never seek gambling-specific support and ensure that gambling harm is addressed as part of a holistic recovery journey.

References

Systematic review and meta-analysis of risk among younger, middle-aged, and older adults. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 13(3), 702–715. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2024.00051

Department of Justice and Attorney-General. (2024). Queensland Gambling Survey 2023: Final Report. Queensland Government. https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/ckan-publications-attachments-prod/resources/50ba6699-7699-483b-bc27-ee737698a667/queensland-gambling-survey-2023-final-report.pdf?ETag=d597678c1f1a0d325a1a3b6dc6eca6d9

Hing, N., Russell, A., Nuske, E., & Gainsbury, S. (2015). The stigma of problem gambling: Causes, characteristics and consequences. Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/documents/351/Hing-Stigma-of-problem-gambling-2015.pdf

Yarbakhsh, E., van der Sterren, A., & Bowles, D. (2023). Screening and Treatment for Co-occurring Gambling and Substance Use: A Scoping Review. Journal of Gambling Studies, 39(4), 1699–1721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-023-10240-z