Rockingham Cambio Cumbre Futsal Club shares in Gaming Community Trust grants from unclaimed gambling winnings

A Rockingham sports club is sharing in nearly $560,000 of unclaimed gambling winnings. The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries funnels unclaimed winnings from casino gaming and wagering back into the community via the Gaming Community Trust. Grants ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, totalling more than $558,000, have gone to 14 groups and projects. They cover five categories: community culture, disability inclusion, community sports engagement, Aboriginal promotion and gambling harm reduction. Rockingham Cambio Cumbre Futsal Club has received $28,500 for its community expo aimed at promoting sports participation. Cyrenian House, Multicultural Communities Council of WA and Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation — that offer or plan to offer gambling harm reduction education, research or support programs to their various communities — also received grants. Other recipients include Befriend Inc for a project empowering young people to connect to themselves and the community, Swan City Youth Service for a program helping young Aboriginal men taking positive pathways in life, and Folkworld for promotion of Bindjareb Noongar Aboriginal culture at this year’s Fairbridge Festival. Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia said 148 applications were made to the 2023 grants program. “These funds support many admirable community organisations and projects in WA,” he said. “Recipients will use the grants to help vulnerable or disadvantaged people in need, enrich cultural connections, promote sporting and other community activities and finance infrastructure development. “It’s satisfying to see the money that gamblers failed to collect is now being used to help people overcome their gambling problems, while also supporting a diverse range of other worthwhile community-based initiatives.”