Self-exclusion: A Proposed Gateway to Treatment Model

Self-exclusion is a programme utilized by the gaming industry to limit access to gaming opportunities for problem gamblers. It is based on the following principles: (1) The gaming industry recognizes that a proportion of community members gamble excessively and have difficulty controlling gambling behaviours; (2) The gaming industry has a responsibility to provide a safe gaming environment and to assist in minimizing the negative impact on individuals displaying problem gambling behaviours; (3) Individuals must accept personal responsibility for limiting gambling behaviours to affordable levels; and (4) Self-exclusion is not a treatment designed to address psychological processes. The objective of the present paper is to propose a unifying structure for self-exclusion programmes as a gateway to treatment based on a system operated by independent ‘educators’ whose roles and responsibilities include informing individuals of the purpose of self-exclusion, establishing links and a gateway for access to supplementary services and monitoring and reporting the effectiveness of the overall programme.