Following this decision, however, more gamblers and their friends and families came forward over subsequent weeks in response to the sustained advertising. In the end, the research team was unable to interview all the volunteer participants in the time available for the project. On 20th June we stopped accepting volunteers for interview.
However, people continued to contact the Centre for several weeks to volunteer for the research program.
3.4.1 Recruitment of problem gamblers and their friends and families.
A number of different strategies were put in place to recruit problem gamblers and their friends and families for interviewing. A range of approaches was designed to ensure that as wide and diverse an audience as possible was informed about the research. The various strategies employed were:
• Newspaper advertisements were printed in the Canberra Times on two Saturdays in May. These advertisements invited those who had sought help, or considered seeking help for gambling problems, whether for themselves or for someone else, to participate in the research (see Appendix D).
• A brief notice was placed in the ‘Fridge Door’ section of the Canberra Times on several occasions in May inviting participation (see Appendix D). ‘Fridge Door’ is a free community noticeboard for non-profit organisations and published in the Canberra Times daily except Sundays.96
• Posters and information sheets were distributed to Lifeline who agreed to display them and to alert their clients to the research we were conducting (see Appendix E and Appendix F).
• Radio advertising was placed with the MIX 106.3 community switchboard.
Information about the project was periodically read out on air with further details being available on their associated website.97
• An advertisement was posted on the Centre for Gambling Research website.
• Researchers addressed groups of building trades apprentices involved in training through the Construction Industry Training and Employment Association at Dickson. This was a specific strategy designed to reach young males because:
o they are a group frequently identified in gambling surveys as being at risk of problematic gambling; and
o young males are also potentially difficult to reach with the standard forms of research recruitment.
All participants in the project were thus self-identified volunteers. Sixteen participants were eventually recruited from this process consisting of four self-identified female problem gamblers, five self-identified male problem gamblers, and seven family members of a person with a gambling problem (six female and one male). All participants agreed to be interviewed at the CGR’s offices at ANU. At the conclusion of the interview participants were invited to contact us again if they had further information. Several telephoned with additional comments; and two of the interviewees sent lengthy emails.
A major challenge for any research of this type is the need to develop trust and empathy between the researchers and the communities. Australian studies that have attempted to examine problem gambling within cultural groups have faced considerable cultural and methodological barriers, including gaining access to communities to conduct the research.98 Often with tight project deadlines, researchers have found it difficult to obtain ‘insider’ knowledge about gambler behaviour, the
96 Canberra Times (2004). http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/sitemail_fridge.asp, accessed, 15.7.04 97 http://www.mix106.com.au/community/CommunityCalendar.asp
98 Scull, S. et al. (2003), op. cit.
cultural meanings of gambling to those communities, and perceptions of what is acceptable behaviour and what constitutes a gambling ‘problem’. Considerable time is needed to establish a trusting relationship with the cultural group.
Trust is a particularly critical issue in relation to problem gambling given community concerns about negative wider public perceptions or humiliation (issues of ‘face’ and pride) which may arise from adverse reporting or publicity about social problems. 99
Regrettably, constraints on this project have not allowed enough time to establish close, trusted relationships with any cultural group. The project attempted to compensate for these difficulties by actively seeking cooperation and input from representatives of cultural organisations where this would have a positive effect on the data collection and project outcome.
3.4.2 Recruitment of knowledgeable stakeholders
Recruitment of community leaders and the counselling agency representatives required similar methods of outreach. This involved a ‘snowball’ approach, building on existing research links established during the 2001 Needs Analysis and through the Community Advisory Group (CAG), and from persons identified during the desk research stage. This methodology involved asking the initial stakeholders identified to suggest further potential informants.100 This technique is often used when potential informants cannot easily be located and when the pool of suitable participants is small and likely to know each other.101 In particular, consultation with CAG members provided useful contacts to people likely to be useful informants. Potential participants were sent a letter detailing the research and requesting participation in an interview to discuss the relevant issues.102
Gambling service providers contacted include:
• Lifeline – Clubcare and Gambling Care (a non-profit gambling counselling provider in the ACT);
• BetSafe (a private gambling counselling provider which has been contracted by one group of ACT clubs);
• NSW Multicultural Problem Gambling Service (a non-profit gambling counselling provider and referral agency based in NSW).
Other stakeholder groups who were interviewed include:
• The ACT Multicultural Consultative Council
• The ACT Migrant Resource Centre
• Arabic Australian Friendship Society
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services (ATSIS)
• Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Centre
• ACT Chief Minister’s Department
99 McMillen, J. et al. (1998) op. cit., p.16.
100 Burgess, R. (1984) op cit.
101 Simon, J. and Burstein, P. (1985) op cit.
102 See Appendix C.
• Oz Help, a building and construction industry charitable organisation that provides support service to apprentices and workers in the construction industry
• Construction Industry Training and Employment Association
• ACT Chinese Australian Association
As with the interviews with gamblers and family members, interviews with these knowledgeable informants were approximately 1½ - 2 hours in duration and at least two members of the research team were present during interviews. Interviews with the gambling service providers were all conducted at the CGR while interviews with community representatives were conducted in a range of locations, including the organisation’s office.
Despite the best efforts of the research team, however, we were unable to recruit gamblers for interview from the nominated cultural groups. Although we provided information for distribution by Lifeline, Betsafe and the various cultural community services, only two volunteers were recruited through these agencies; both were members of the indigenous community.