New South Wales is doubling down on harm support infrastructure. The Minns Labor Government has committed an additional AU$1.3 million annually to GambleAware, the state’s lead provider of gambling counselling and crisis intervention services.

Thursday’s funding announcement represents a substantive expansion of the network. GambleAware will increase its physical footprint by 44 percent, opening 15 new service locations to reach 49 sites across the state. On top of that, the organisation will hire five additional peer support workers, bringing its dedicated staff to 16.

Scaling Up Service Delivery

The numbers tell the story. In the 2024-25 financial year alone, GambleAware delivered over 19,000 counselling sessions to 4,170 clients whilst fielding more than 9,500 calls through its 24-hour crisis helpline. That’s the operational backbone the new funding aims to strengthen, with peer support emerging as the government’s strategic priority.

Gaming and racing minister David Harris framed the investment as a direct response to an independent evaluation. That evaluation praised GambleAware’s service quality but identified critical gaps: community engagement, peer support capacity, and operational resources all came up short. “That’s why we have responded with a funding boost,” Harris said. It’s the kind of statement that manages to be both politician-speak and factually accurate.

Contract Awards and Provider Network

Six established service providers have secured three-year contracts, renewable for a further two years, to deliver support across 10 regional areas. Wesley Community Services, Regional Community Care, Armidale CentaCare New England North West, Mission Australia, Uniting, and St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney each won competitive tender awards. Individual contract values remain undisclosed, though.

Broader Reform Context

This expansion sits within NSW’s wider gambling reform agenda. The government has already implemented watershed advertising restrictions on television and banned celebrity endorsements. Minister Anika Wells characterised these measures as “the strongest in Australia’s history” when they were unveiled in April. They arrived three years after the Murphy Report, which catalysed the regulatory rethink.

The peer support strand is arguably the most human element of all. Dean Dries, a Wiradjuri peer support worker operating across Northern Sydney and the Central Coast, exemplifies the approach. His own recovery journey now translates into direct community presence and a message that matters: “recovery is not easy, but there are people who care about you.”

For a mature iGaming market, the balance between regulatory reform and support infrastructure matters. NSW appears to be taking both seriously.