Project highlights
Engaged double the audience from the previous year.
Requests for counselling on Gambling Help Online up 79%.
Campaign survey showed 70% attributed campaign to behaviour change.
Aussies really love a punt.
According to the stats, we love gambling more than any other country.
Responsible Gambling Awareness Week is all about educating the public on what responsible gambling behaviours looks like. Our challenge was to address problem gambling, without directly calling out problem gamblers.
Meet the Checkmates.
The Checkmates campaign focussed on the warning signs, and to avoid stigmatising gamblers, we reached out to their mates instead.




We created four relatable characters — Buck, Betty, Skip and Moby — who personify the most common behaviours of problem gambling.
Introducing the Checkmates.
Digital, radio and print were used to promote the campaign online, on air and in every major club in NSW. Fact sheets were also created as a resource for advocates to use at their discretion.
Online check in.
To find out more about the warning signs of problem gambling, the website allowed people to check in with the Checkmates to learn more about their behaviour and the right actions to take.
Upping the ante.
We also created Bet and Bust, an online game that puts you in the mind of a gambler to show you firsthand how easy it is for gambling to get out of hand.
Launch day.
The Checkmates needed to make an impactful first impression. We launched an activation in World Square in the heart of Sydney CBD where where passersby could interact with the website and play Bet and Bust on touch screen kiosks.
The results
During the campaign lifetime:
Gambling Help Online.