[originaltext] Hi, everyone. Welcome to this chat session about gambling. O

Hi, everyone.  Welcome to this chat session about gambling.  Our guest today is Lauren from the Problem Gambling Foundation.
   Q: How do you know when you’ve got a gambling problem?
   A: This is a tricky one to answer.  For many people, they don’t know that they have a gambling problem until they run out of money, or it’s caused some really major problems in their life.
   Q: How do you find out that problem?
   A: When someone comes in to our counseling service, we ask them a whole heap of different questions.  This is called "screening".  This helps us to find out patterns they have with gambling, how often, and how it makes that person feel when they gamble. As a general Yule problem gambling is when the gambling has a negative effect on the persons’ life whether it be financial, or if it causes relationship, family or work problems.
   Q: What if you think you’ve only got a small problem with gambling? Should you be doing something about it now?
   A: That’s a great question. If your gambling is bothering you, then it may be helpful to talk to someone before the problem gets bigger. At Problem Gambling Foundation we have a free service where you can come in and talk to someone.  Or there is a Youth Problem Gambling Helpline with an 0800 number you can ring which operates on a Monday night from 5-10 pm. What may be a problem for one person, may not be for another, so often it’s just helpful to talk to someone if you feel unsure.
   Q: Why are pokies addictive?
   A: People get addicted to pokie machines for all different reasons.  For some people it may start off as fun, then they start playing the pokies more and more often.  Some people really want to get the BIG WIN, and feel if they spend enough time and money on the machines it will eventually happen. What’s important to remember is that these machines are games of CHANCE not games of SKILL.  That means you can’t get better at them, or control what they do. They are programmed with a random number generator, so you can’t predict if you will win or lose.  They are just games of chance.
   Q: I don’t get it.  Why do people start to gamble when they really can’t afford it?
   A: People often gamble in the hope that they will get more money than they started with. For people who may not have a lot of money, this may seem a very real option of how to get some extra money.  But, of course, although you CAN win, you can also LOSE.
People sometimes forget that,  and only focus on how much they COULD get... Its important to remember that although gambling can lead to big prizes and big wins, there will always be a risk involved that you will go away with nothing.  That’s why many people set themselves a limit of what they can afford to spend on gambling, and once that is gone, they go home. And if they win.. that’s a bonus!
   Q: Do you like doing this job for a living?
   A: I LOVE it ! ! ! I get to work with young people doing some really fun activities to talk about gambling and risk taking-as we have a youth project that is being tested in schools.  If your school or you are interested in learning more about gambling feel free to contact me.  I also get to work with all sorts of community groups, too.  So yep, I really like my job! !
   Q: How can I stop someone I care about from chucking away heaps of money on betting on dumb things?
   A: First of all, I think it’s awesome that you care enough about this person to ask this question.  It’s really hard sometimes to offer someone advice, especially if they feel that what they are doing is right.  I guess you could talk to them about why they like to gamble, and how it makes them feel. Plus, having information to give them if they did decide they wanted to talk to someone might be really helpful.  It’s a tricky one-but talking openly is often a great start.
   Q: Do women gamble as much as men?
   A: Yes, they do.  Women are often more associated with the pokie machines, whereas men are often into horse-racing, sports-betting etc.  However across the board, it’s about half and half.  Older women are on the increase as having gambling problems as well.