Aboriginal youth-led gambling harm awareness campaigns will receive a combined $400,000 in funding, with three community organisations awarded grants last Wednesday to develop culturally relevant social media campaigns across New South Wales.
The NSW Office of Responsible Gambling (ORG) announced the 'Our Mob, Our Media, Our Message' Gambling Harm Prevention Grants, responding to a recent survey showing 10.4 per cent of Aboriginal people in NSW experience at-risk gambling, compared to 3.8 per cent of the non-Indigenous population.
The grants were developed following consultation with Aboriginal stakeholders and organisations who recognised the need to raise gambling harm awareness among young mob. The consultation process also highlighted social media as a powerful approach to influencing attitudes, but emphasised that these online messages must be created by mob, for mob.
Three not-for-profit organisations were awarded grants to work alongside young Aboriginal people to co-design and deliver culturally relevant educational campaigns over 18 months.
The funded projects include:
$149,620 to Souths Cares for a six-month digital campaign aiming to reduce gambling harm by using Souths Cares' community networks and the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL club brand to co-design culturally appropriate messages with youth and ambassadors.
$150,000 to Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation for the Don't Get Caught in the Gambling Net campaign, a 12-month youth-led initiative engaging young people across Macarthur, Illawarra and the South Coast through on-Country workshops and storytelling to co-create culturally specific media assets.
$100,000 to Ungooroo Aboriginal Corporation for a community-led campaign in the Singleton and Muswellbrook regions, empowering young people to share lived experiences and develop culturally safe messages around gambling harm.
"I'm proud to support this campaign as an ambassador and help young people rethink gambling and recognise the harm it can cause," said Souths Rabbitohs NRL player and Souths Cares Ambassador Cody Walker.
"Souths Cares leads the way in promoting positive messages that empower young people," he continued.
NSW Minister for Gaming and Racing and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said the grants are part of broader efforts to address the disproportionate impact of gambling harm on Aboriginal communities.
"The statistics showing the higher rates of Aboriginal people experiencing gambling harm in NSW are concerning, and this partnership approach to reach young Aboriginal people will help close this unacceptable gap and ensure our goal of preventing and minimising gambling harm can be met across all communities in NSW," he said.
"I'm pleased to support these three organisations to create engaging social media content that encourages conversations about gambling harm and challenges attitudes around gambling."
