The development and implementation of electronic gambling machine policy: a qualitative study of local government policy makers

Abstract

Objective: To understand how policies developed by Local Government Authorities (LGAs) to address electronic gambling machine (EGM) harm are developed and implemented. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants from 15 LGAs in metropolitan Melbourne who worked in a role associated or aligned with gambling. An inductive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Results: Three key themes emerged. First, participants described a shift from addiction frameworks to public health policy responses to EGMs, which was driven by increasing EGM losses and the harms caused by EGMs to communities. Second, there was the role of stakeholder groups in the policy-making process, including the challenges associated with engaging the community. Finally, there were barriers and facilitators to policy development and implementation. Barriers included a lack of financial resources and legislative boundaries imposed by the State Government. Facilitators included whole-of-LGA approaches, supportive councillors and collaborative efforts. Conclusions and implications for public health: LGAs have made shifts towards public health responses to EGM harm. Initiatives to further support policy development and implementation could include imposing a levy on EGM losses to directly support public health prevention activities and implementing robust state-based regulatory frameworks that support LGA responses to EGM harm.

Women's perceptions of strategies to address the normalisation of gambling and gambling‐related harm

“…[15][16][17] Notwithstanding this, there has been limited in-depth research into community attitudes towards harm prevention and de-normalisation strategies in the context of gambling. Relevant qualitative research has primarily focused on the perspectives of professional key informants, 18,19 young people and their parents 20 and people who have specifically experienced gambling problems or harm. 21,22 Understanding the perspectives of different population subgroups that engage in gambling is critical in informing the design of transformative public health and health promotion strategies.…”

Research evidence use in local government-led public health interventions: a systematic review

“…While at times political influence was reported to outweigh even good research [ 44 , 45 ], when political goals were aligned with public health priorities or research findings, this facilitated its use [ 52 ]. Other facilitators included: individual and organisational capacity to use research [ 39 , 42 , 47 ]; research findings communicated in clear and simple language [ 50 , 51 , 53 ]; and collaboration, including formal partnerships [ 43 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 51 , 54 – 57 , 59 , 61 – 66 , 72 ]. …”

Older adults' perceptions of the risks associated with contemporary gambling environments: Implications for public health policy and practice

“…Understanding the socio-cultural dimensions of risk environments is also important for shifting dominant discourses and policy approaches that have stubbornly focused on individualized framings of responsibility for gambling risk and harm (Marko et al, 2020 ), and marginalize the risks attributable to gambling products and environments (van Schalkwyk et al, 2021a ). Public health approaches are important because they move beyond a view of harm that is entirely the responsibility of the individual and focus also on situations and environments in which risk and harm is constructed (Marko et al, 2022 ; Nyemcsok et al, 2022 ).…”