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Objective: To understand how policies developed by Local Government Authorities (LGAs) to address electronic gambling machine (EGM) harm are developed and implemented., Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants from 15 LGAs in metropolitan Melbourne who worked in a role associated or aligned with gambling. An inductive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data., Results: Three key themes emerged. First, participants described a shift from addiction frameworks to public health policy responses to EGMs, which was driven by increasing EGM losses and the harms caused by EGMs to communities. Second, there was the role of stakeholder groups in the policy-making process, including the challenges associated with engaging the community. Finally, there were barriers and facilitators to policy development and implementation. Barriers included a lack of financial resources and legislative boundaries imposed by the State Government. Facilitators included whole-of-LGA approaches, supportive councillors and collaborative efforts. Conclusions and implications for public health: LGAs have made shifts towards public health responses to EGM harm. Initiatives to further support policy development and implementation could include imposing a levy on EGM losses to directly support public health prevention activities and implementing robust state-based regulatory frameworks that support LGA responses to EGM harm., (© 2020 The Authors.)

The financial consequences associated with harmful gambling create significant health and social stressors for individuals, their families, and communities. However, there has been limited research exploring how people impacted by gambling harm conceptualise and experience the financial impacts on their lives. To help fill this gap, this study used in-depth qualitative interviews with gamblers harmed by their own gambling and affected others harmed by someone else's gambling. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. The study had three key findings. First, prior to experiencing harm, gamblers and affected others did not consider the financial risks associated with gambling and only recognised the risks once the financial losses negatively impacted other areas of their lives. Second, gamblers and affected others managed the day-to-day financial impacts of gambling by adjusting their financial priorities, reducing spending in other areas, or accruing debt. Finally, the financial impacts of gambling and the associated financial management strategies led to broader and long-term problems for gamblers and affected others. This study demonstrates that financial harms from gambling are complex and contribute to the stigmatisation of people who experience harm. Current educational messages and tools simplify this complex issue and may legitimise gambling as a leisure activity which can be managed by making 'responsible' financial decisions. Public health and health promotion initiatives must recognise this complexity, developing approaches that are independent from the gambling industry and informed by lived experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]