The Andrews Labor Government is protecting Victoria’s culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities from gambling harm by funding new targeted prevention projects.

Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams, today announced the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation had awarded the Serbian Community Association of Australia $17,500 to develop a program that will raise awareness of the risks of gambling.

The project will include 10 information sessions in Serbian as well as develop Serbian language information for print and radio media.

The Foundation is providing 12 grants worth a total of $200,000 to Victoria’s CALD communities to raise awareness about the risks of gambling and encourage people to seek help.

Research shows that while CALD communities in developed countries like Australia tend to gamble less than the overall population, those who do gamble are more likely to experience harm.

CALD groups to benefit include newly arrived migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from Arabic, Middle Eastern and African nations, and more established communities from Greece, Serbia, Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Foundation will use insights from the funded projects to develop more tailored prevention programs for these communities.

The Labor Government has taken strong measures to reduce gambling harm, including capping pokies numbers across the state, limiting daily cash withdrawals in venues and restricting betting advertising in public spaces.