Dr Annie Carroll, ANU Centre for Gambling Research,

Larry Saha Seminar Room 2175, Level 2, Haydon-Allen Building,

The Australian National University

The Beliefs and knowledge about problem gambling amongst high intensity players of gaming machines report (Carroll et al., 2012) found that people who regularly play electronic gaming machines rarely, if ever, offered help to people they knew with gambling problems, or encouraged them to go to problem gambling counselling services.  Furthermore, they were unlikely to identify signs and symptoms of problem gambling amongst family or friends, until the problem was severe, or until it was too late to help.  The three significant barriers to such identification and intervention appear to be the stigmas associated with addiction, financial problems and irrational behaviour.  In this paper, I propose that rather than people with gambling problems facing a tripling of stigma (i.e. addiction + financial problems + irrational behaviour = 3 stigmas), they in fact face stigma to the power of 3 (i.e. addiction x financial problems x irrational behaviour = stigma³).  Stigma³ therefore creates a strong social barrier and social distance that prevents people with gambling problems from being offered help from family, friends and acquaintances.  It will require significant social interventions to overcome these barriers.