The NSW Government is offering grants of up to $400,000 for companies developing ways to reduce gambling harm with technology. The government’s Office for Responsible Gambling is seeking project pitches that to “ensure that technology is leveraged to most effectively deliver responsible gambling education, services and outcomes” it said in a statement today. Small ($100,000) and large ($400,000) grants are available for pitches that use tech to “help understand gambling-related problems and develop innovative solutions”. These might involve apps or online tools that help consumers make informed choices; immersive technology and virtual reality to develop materials that can be used to deliver gambling related education and awareness programs; innovative gambling harm minimisation messaging delivery; or increase quality interactions between gambling venue staff members and customers. A mix of large scale projects involving multi?year investments and small projects with short time?frames will be funded. Submissions – those from partnerships between technology firms and industry are specifically encouraged – close on February 26. It is anticipated that successful projects will be notified in the second quarter of this year. Pokie problems In the year to June 2018, 55 per cent of the NSW population participated in some form of gambling, according to the Office. Lotteries and instant scratch tickets were the most widely used, followed by playing gaming machines. In 2016/17, a total of $9.53 billion was spent on gambling in NSW, around 40 per cent of total gambling expenditure in Australia. At last count (2012) around 12 per cent of the NSW population was classified as being at risk of problem gambling. Just less than one per cent was considered to be problem gamblers. According to a 2014 report, NSW has around 95,000 pokie machines, the state only being beaten by Nevada, home of Las Vegas. Australia has the sixth highest number of gambling machines in the world. In 2017, NSW treasury coffers took more than $2 billion in gambling taxes. In June last year the state government introduced a new tax on online gambling, predicted to draw about $100 million a year. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP A cloud-based solution to rescue millions from energy poverty Aware of the correlation between energy and financial poverty, Savannah Energy is helping to generate clean, competitively priced electricity across Africa by integrating its old systems into one cloud-based platform. By Keith E. Greenberg, SAP Contributor Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation feature 8 change management questions every IT leader must answer Designed to speed adoption and achieve business outcomes, change management hasn’t historically been a strength of IT orgs. It’s time to flip that script by asking hard questions to hone change strategies. By Stephanie Overby Nov 30, 2023 10 mins Change Management IT Leadership feature CIO Darlene Taylor’s formula for success: Listen, drive, care This Motor City CIO says building and maintaining credibility starts with an empathy-driven approach, which has the potential to render you highly appealing to top talent. By Michael Bertha Nov 30, 2023 6 mins Automotive Industry IT Leadership news MENA IT Spending to Grow 4% in 2024 By Andrea Benito Nov 30, 2023 2 mins Artificial Intelligence Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe