Archbishop of Sydney

Problem Gambling

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
22 May 2005

Gambling remains as big a problem in New South Wales as Las Vegas, the worst in the world.  But there is an increased awareness of this and more help available for problem gamblers.

Last Tuesday at Parliament House in Macquarie Street with the Minister for Gaming and Racing, and the President of the Australian Hotels Association (A.H.A.), I launched a partnership between the A.H.A. and Centacare, the Catholic Welfare agency, to run a programme called “Hotelcare” which will help problem gamblers exclude themselves from gambling venues.

We know that all Australian adults are free to gamble and this is harmless and enjoyable in many cases (except when we lose).  However when personal and especially family finances are damaged we can have big trouble.  And when addiction sets in individuals can secretly run up debts which destroy all family assets, even the family home.  Often this cannot be undone.

With an acknowledgement of personal responsibility, then the search can begin for some form of self help.  “Hotelcare” will put gamblers in contact with professionals to keep them away from temptation and counsellors to help address underlying causes.  Already 1600 people have been helped and only 2 have withdrawn from the Game Change programme started by the A.H.A.

Nearly four years ago the N.S.W. government introduced a package of measures to curb the extent of gambling, and government support of Hotelcare is a welcome addition to these initiatives.

Sydney Centacare started in the 1940s with a focus on family and children, especially orphans, but this work has now been expanded and offers different services to every sort of person, rich or poor, from town or country, religious or irreligious, in at least a dozen areas which range from pregnancy support services to care for dementia sufferers, from the provision of emergency accommodation to helping drug addicts, from running a Business College, to employee support programmes.

The annual budget for this financial year in Sydney archdiocese alone is $28 million, with 120 programmes run by about 700 fulltime or part-time staff.  The Anglican and Uniting Churches have a similar range of operations.

Hotels, like clubs, are important community centres for recreation and amusement.  When they are well run they make a wonderful contribution to the welfare of every section of society.  But if alcohol consumption and gambling are not controlled, they encourage patterns of destructive behaviour which often damage the next generation too.

For nearly 2000 years the Catholic Church has run parishes and centres to help the poor and the sick.  For hundreds of years there have been Catholic schools.

But in the last 40 years the Catholic Church in Australia has expanded its services for overseas relief and development, collecting $21 million for tsunami victims, and expanded through Centacare the variety of help for anyone in a spot of trouble here in Australia.

Charity should begin at home, even though it should not just stay there.