The Social Costs of Gambling Harm - A Faith Response: Brimbank & Maribyrnong Interfaith Network

The Faith Communities Council of Victoria, in association with Brimbank & Maribyrnong Interfaith Network, invites you to:

The Social Costs of Gambling Harm: A Faith Response

Date: Sunday 18 November 2018       Time: 2:30 - 3:50pm
Location: St Albans Community Centre - 309C Main Road East, Saint Albans, VIC 3021 (Flexible Space 1)
Free Registration: vinc.eventbrite.com.au

Gambling is normalised in our society and marketed as entertainment. But did you know Australians spend more per person on gambling than any other country in the world. In fact we spend more money gambling than on any other dangerous activity including alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs

Gambling harm is a negative consequence, caused or made worse by gambling, that affects the health or wellbeing of an individual, their family or community. The social costs of gambling harm are enormous: bankruptcy, homelessness, family and personal dysfunction, domestic violence and countless other stories. And these negative effects seem to fall disproportionately on the poor and disadvantaged, including culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse communities.

What do the world’s great religions have to say about gambling? What issues and concerns do faith communities face regarding gambling harm, and what primary, secondary and tertiary approaches have they taken to address these issues within their communities? And what practical responses can faith communities collectively take to tackle the ravaging impact of gambling on our society?

Facilitator: Dr Mark Zirnsak, Uniting Church in Australia (Synod of Victoria and Tasmania), Chair of the Victorian Inter-Church Gambling Taskforce, and member of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Ministerial Advisory Council.

Free Registration: vinc.eventbrite.com.au