job gambling spirals after COVID lockdowns lift and poker machines turned back on | ABC News

Twenty-one years ago when David McAnalen entered a licensed venue with a gaming room, it wasn’t unusual for him to lose thousands of dollars.

Now he enters these venues to try to make a difference as a Relationships Australia community educator skilling those who work in the clubs and pubs to have “seed-planting” conversations with gamblers.

Poker machines are of particular concern — about half the people who play the pokies regularly have a gambling job, according to Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello.

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