Minimising gambling harm

Tabled Report 9: 2023–24

Tabled date

2024-02-06

Report year

2023-24

Community welfare Health

Entities audited

Not identified in the published HTML audit scope.

Recommendations

1. QAO's text Addressed to: develops a plan to improve and sustain its understanding of gambling-related harm and its prevalence in Queensland (Chapter 4). This

   develops a plan to improve and sustain its understanding of gambling-related harm and its prevalence in Queensland (Chapter 4). This should include

   • conducting regular and targeted studies to assess the extent and impact of gambling issues
   • prioritising Queensland-specific research to identify key challenges and vulnerabilities

2. QAO's text Addressed to: develops a plan to improve and sustain its understanding of gambling-related harm and its prevalence in Queensland (Chapter 4). This

   comprehensively assesses the long-term funding needed to effectively deliver its harm minimisation plans (Chapter 4)

3. QAO's text Addressed to: develops and implements strategies and initiatives aimed at preventing gambling-related harm in Queensland. This

   develops and implements strategies and initiatives aimed at preventing gambling-related harm in Queensland. This should include greater focus on at-risk groups and emerging gambling activities such as wagering (Chapter 4)

4. QAO's text Addressed to: completes its implementation of the recommendations from the 2021 review of gambling help services (Chapter 4). This

   completes its implementation of the recommendations from the 2021 review of gambling help services (Chapter 4). This should include

   • tailoring support services to better meet the needs of at-risk groups and make them more accessible
   • improving community education initiatives to reach more people at risk of gambling harm
   • addressing challenges in accessing non-therapeutic counselling options like financial counselling and peer support
   • designing and implementing outcomes-focused performance measures for gambling help services to enable more effective performance monitoring

5. QAO's text Addressed to: works with relevant industry stakeholders to prioritise the development of a centralised self-exclusion system in Queensland. In doing this, it

   works with relevant industry stakeholders to prioritise the development of a centralised self-exclusion system in Queensland. In doing this, it should ensure data- and privacy-related risks are known and effectively managed (Chapter 4).

6. QAO's text Addressed to: prioritises completing its review of the Queensland responsible gambling Code of Practice to align with its goal of implementing it as a mandatory requirement in Queensland (Chapter 5). This

   prioritises completing its review of the Queensland responsible gambling Code of Practice to align with its goal of implementing it as a mandatory requirement in Queensland (Chapter 5). This should include

   • updating the code of practice to reflect current better practices and ensure that it promotes a safer gambling industry
   • developing an enforcement mechanism that holds gambling operators accountable for breaches of the code of practice

7. QAO's text Addressed to: implements a comprehensive and risk-based approach to assessing and managing gambling-related risks (Chapter 5). This

   implements a comprehensive and risk-based approach to assessing and managing gambling-related risks (Chapter 5). This should include

   • conducting regular risk assessments of gambling activities and operators, considering factors such as compliance history, location, gambling turnover, and socio-economic factors
   • developing a risk-based system for identifying and prioritising high-risk gambling providers
   • targeting compliance activities towards high-risk gambling providers and activities
   • using data and insights to inform and improve the department's compliance program

8. QAO's text Addressed to: strengthens its regulatory oversight of the gambling industry to ensure that gambling providers are implementing effective harm minimisation measures (Chapter 5). This

   strengthens its regulatory oversight of the gambling industry to ensure that gambling providers are implementing effective harm minimisation measures (Chapter 5). This should include

   • developing and implementing detailed and harm-focused inspection checklists
   • providing regular training to compliance officers on harm minimisation and compliance inspections
   • regularly monitoring and reporting on the performance of regulatory activities with a focus on harm minimisation outcomes.

9. QAO's text Addressed to: strengthens its governance and performance monitoring arrangements for delivering the harm minimisation plan (Chapter 6). This

   strengthens its governance and performance monitoring arrangements for delivering the harm minimisation plan (Chapter 6). This should include

   • developing and implementing a clear and comprehensive governance framework that outlines the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, accountability mechanisms, project management, and decision-making processes
   • managing perceived or actual conflicts of interest among stakeholder groups through robust governance structures and risk management protocols
   • establishing effective monitoring and reporting processes to track progress, identify and address issues early on, and ensure that the plan is achieving its objectives
   • establishing formal processes for altering the annual plans, such as changes to scope, milestones, and budget

10. QAO's text Addressed to: improves its processes for evaluating the effectiveness of its strategies and their impact on gambling prevalence and harm (Chapter 6). This

    improves its processes for evaluating the effectiveness of its strategies and their impact on gambling prevalence and harm (Chapter 6). This should include

    • developing clear and measurable performance indicators that align with the broader strategy outcomes
    • setting clear benchmarks or targets for performance measures to assess how well the department is performing against its goals
    • collecting baseline data to assess the performance of its strategies and initiatives
    • conducting regular evaluations of its strategies and initiatives, including assessing their impact on changes in behaviour over time.

Authoritative report — Queensland Audit Office

Report PDF on QAO