NSW GOVERNMENT
Meet the checkmates
The mates who help mates who gamble.
Engaged double the audience from the previous year.
Requests for counselling on Gambling Help Online up 79%.
Survey showed 70% attributed the campaign to behaviour change.
Addressing the problem without calling people out.
Responsible Gambling Awareness Week is all about educating the public on what responsible gambling behaviours look like. Our challenge was to address problem gambling, without directly calling out problem gamblers.
Mates don’t let mates struggle.
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 in every major club in NSW. Fact sheets were also created as a resource for advocates and the website allowed people to check in with the Checkmates to learn more and the right actions to take.
Getting inside the mind of a gambler.
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.
Launching the Checkmates on the street.
The Checkmates needed to make an impactful first impression. We launched an activation in World Square in the heart of Sydney CBD where passersby could interact with the website and play Bet and Bust on touch screen kiosks.
