International Gambling Conference : Preventing harm in the shifting gambling environment: Challenges, Policies & Strategies

Addressing Community Level Gambling Harm

Professor Sally Casswell Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes

Lisa Campbell

Acknowledgments

• Team:

Professor Sally Casswell, Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes, Professor Karen Witten, Dr Jeffery Adams, Dr Pauline Dickinson, Dr Taisia Huckle, Dr Martin Wall, Dr Lanuola Asiasiga, Dr En Li Lin, Karl Parker and the CATI team (Massey University) and Lisa Campbell, Sarah Woodward; Vicki Hirini (Salvation Army Oasis)

• Funding – Ministry of Health

Community Level Gambling Harm?

• Surprising lack of published research on ‘community’

• Individual measures– eg crime related to gambling

• Household impacts – eg financial impacts and arguments

• Lower socio economic neighbourhoods

• Cultural Issues

Assumption Community Level Harm exists and is important

• Phase 1 research – Existing data which might indicate wellbeing

at community level – Relationship with EGM venues

• NB correlational

• Phase 2 research– Literature search for relevant community level

interventions • Phase 3 community intervention (TSA)

Research Findings

• Variables with significant relationship with density of EGM venues – Higher crime levels, lower levels of social

cohesion and volunteering, more food parcels from TSA (controlling for DEP)

• No published examples of community level gambling interventions found but interventions focused on safety and social cohesion

Design and Methodology

• Four high deprivation communities– two Wellington, two Auckland– one intervention, one reference in each

region• Evaluation:

– small formative, process and outcome• Data:

– key informant interviews, TSA interviews and reports, community surveys, police data, EGM expenditure

Community Intervention

• Objectives: Short-term outcomes Intermediate

outcomes Evaluation measures

Increased security and environmental conditions around EGMs and in the locality

Safer environment

Perceptions of safety Perceptions of crime Perceptions of

environmental condition

Greater community involvement in alternative recreational activities and environments

Improved social cohesion/networks

Community involvement and use of recreation/social facilities

Social cohesion Social and Personal

wellbeing

Community Intervention – Pre Intervention Activities

• Engage with local communities • Perform safety audit around EGM venues

and shopping areas in both communities– Venue survey– Key stakeholder survey– Observation Checklist

• Map current recreational activities / programmes and assess needs

• Findings will help inform the interventions

Community Intervention – Pre Intervention Activities

• Developed semi structured questionnaire for safety audit based on CATI survey– Physical environment – Perceptions of safety – shopping areas,

venues– Lighting, surveillance, security presence– Policing– Crime as an issue in the community– Safety in wider community

Develop table/directory of community activities

Community Intervention – Pre Intervention Activities

• Time consuming to conduct the survey with community stakeholders– neighbourhood policing, local board

members, community development advisors, community steering groups, safety panel, Maori and Pacific Wardens, community / recreational centre managers, business etc.

• Some stakeholders cautious / positive• Range of perspectives • Changes in community roles• Transcribing & analysis time consuming

Community Interventions

• Environmental change – Implement community policing around EGMs

and in the community– Support Accord development with local

venues, police and businesses• Social cohesion

– Promote existing and develop more recreational activities

– Increase volunteer capacity of community

Community Interventions - Next Steps

• Collating findings of safety audit and CATI survey to present back to community - Feb

• Discuss findings and potential intervention ideas with community stakeholders to gain buy-in – March e.g. – Supporting current safety initiatives already in place,

NPT, M/P wardens, Ambassadors?– Possible interventions for Neighbours Day 19-20th

March 2016 re social cohesion?• Interventions to be driven by the community to

ensure sustainability• Many projects already underway