This Gambling Harm Awareness Week, Suncorp Bank and QUT are launching a gambling support toolkit highlighting key opportunities for banks.
Australians lose an estimated $22 billion on gambling each year, representing the largest per capita losses in the world. But are we gambling with more than our money?
Gambling is associated with significant health, social and economic harms with impacts on personal finances, family, mental and physical health, productivity, and the economy. These harms don’t just impact people who gamble, they impact their families, peers, businesses, and communities. While gambling is a socially acceptable pastime in Australia, talking about gambling-related harms isn’t. So, let’s talk about it.
This Gambling Harm Awareness Week, Suncorp Bank and QUT have launched a gambling support toolkit highlighting key opportunities for banks to consider implementing. These include:
Screening and monitoring;
Blocks and restrictions;
Refining policies and procedures;
Partnerships with service providers; and
Employee training.
Download the gambling support toolkit
The toolkit provides recommendations for banks to consider implementing in order to support customers experiencing gambling-related harms.
With new technologies such as smartphones and betting apps, a liberalised regulatory environment, clever marketing and increasing social normalisation, gambling is more accessible than ever.
Suncorp Bank also recently introduced a gambling lock, which can be easily activated by customers and instantly block most gambling transactions on a Suncorp Bank Visa debit card. The lock restricts transactions at most gambling services including sports betting, casino games and online gambling.
The gambling lock and toolkit add to a suite of Suncorp Bank products and services that support customers experiencing gambling-related harms. These include:
Suncorp Bank credit cards cannot be used for gambling transactions.
Unable to use Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products for cash advances and gambling transactions.
We have a customer care team who are specially trained to help people who may be experiencing gambling-related harms and can connect customers to additional support services.
Training materials for our customer-facing teams.
If you or someone you know is impacted by gambling, reach out to Gambler's Help or a financial counsellor. You can also contact the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 for a free and confidential chat.
Published 20 July 2022
