Homelessness and
Gambling Harm
Welcome to the Homelessness and Gambling Harm e-learning created by Simon Community Scotland and Fast Forward.
The relationship between gambling harm and homelessness might seem obvious, however, very little work has been done to look at this in Scotland.
Simon Community Scotland and Fast Forward recognised that many homelessness organisations would screen and offer support for people using substances (alcohol and drugs) but that gambling harm, whether from your own or someone else’s gambling, was left out of the conversation.
This e-learning takes a public health and harm reduction approach and is the first step to supporting the many professionals, families and individuals who want to understand the links between gambling harm and homelessness. Please see the accompanying toolkit for an overview of the information included in this e-learning, along with activities and resources that you can use.
Please note
All the stories in this e-learning are from individuals with lived experience of gambling harm and/or homelessness. You might recognise yourself in some of these stories, but all individuals have given us their permissions for their words.
The topics in this training include references to addiction, domestic violence, suicide, and other traumatic experiences.
Please pace yourself and step away if you need to. If you would like to speak to anyone, we encourage you to call the National Gambling Helpline at 0808 8020 133 or chat with someone through live chat.
At the end of this training you will:
Understand how homelessness and gambling are connected
Have more in-depth knowledge of gambling products and their harms
Understand the harms associated with homelessness
Be able to identify signs of gambling harm among people experiencing homelessness
Be confident opening discussions around gambling harm and signposting people to relevant services
Simon Community
Registered Charity No. SC003076
Fast Forward
Registered Charity No. SC020124