1. Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Worldwide
2. Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Since
3. Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Uk
4. Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Articles

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Gambling Reforms

Digital technologies are rapidly changing Australia’s gambling industry.

In fact, 0.5-1.0% of Australian adults are problem gamblers according to Central Coast Gambling Help, and a further 1.4-2.1% of adults experience moderate risks. Q&A with a spokesperson from Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation: Do you think Australia has a gambling problem? As punters head to the races this weekend for the first day of the spring carnival, new figures released show that Australia still leads the field in gambling losses, with each adult on average. Total recorded losses through gambling in Australia reached just over $19 billion in 2008–09 (an average of $1,500 per gambler and a share of household consumption of 3.1 per cent).

The 2015 Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering (the Review) noted that online wagering is the fastest growing gambling segment, with over $1.4 billion gambled online each year. Digital technology is also enabling operators to reach our phones, our televisions, our home computers at any time of the day or night.

Problem gambling. Gambling can take the form of pokies, lotto, scratchies, card games, racing or other forms of betting. Each year, 70% of Australians participate in some type of gambling, but for some, gambling can quickly become a problem.

The Review also noted that Australians are losing between $64 million and $400 million every year betting in illegal offshore sites, and this means tax revenue is also lost. In the online world, the proportion of problem gambling is three times higher than in other forms of gambling*.

* Hing, N., Gainsbury, S., Blaszczynski, A., Wood, R., Lubman, D., & Russell, A. (2014). Interactive gambling. Melbourne: Gambling Research Australia

The Government is delivering on its commitments outlined in the Response to the 2015 Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering with stronger consumer protection as the centrepiece of these reforms.

Government’s Response to Illegal Offshore Wagering

On 28 April 2016, the Government announced its response to the recommendations of the Review, supporting 18 of the Review’s 19 recommendations. This commitment included a three-staged approach:

• The establishment of a National Consumer Protection Framework (National Framework) for online wagering, was announced on 30 November 2018.
• Amending the law to make it clear that it is illegal for unlicensed overseas gambling companies to offer gambling products to Australians. The Australian Communications and Media Authority is empowered to have stronger enforcement mechanisms, enacted in the Interactive Gambling Amendment Act 2017.
• Investigating the feasibility of other disruptions measures to curb illegal offshore gambling activity. The Government is implementing a website blocking scheme to protect Australians from illegal offshore gambling websites, as announced by the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts on 11 November 2019. The Australian Communications and Media Authority will use its powers to work in cooperation with Australian internet service providers to block illegal offshore gambling websites which are prohibited services under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

Latest News

‘Better Choices’ – Enhancing informed decision-making for online wagering consumers

The Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has released their findings from a randomised trial to determine the effect of activity statement features, to help consumers make informed decisions about their online wagering.

The aim of the trial was to design activity statement prototypes and test the effect of those activity statements on gambling behaviours in a simulated online betting environment.

BETA’s report, Better Choices – Enhancing informed decision-making for online wagering consumers, provides recommendations of activity statement prototypes including design and content features which are most likely to influence and empower consumers to make informed decisions about their online wagering activity.

The Commonwealth and state and territory governments are currently considering the findings of this report which are expected to inform the implementation of the ‘activity statements’ measure of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.

The full report is available at https://behaviouraleconomics.pmc.gov.au/projects/applying-behavioural-insights-online-wagering.

National Self-Exclusion Register legislation

On 12 December 2019, legislation providing for the National Self-Exclusion Register (Register) for online wagering received Royal Assent. This included the Interactive Gambling Amendment (National Self‑exclusion Register) Act 2019 and the National Self‑exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Act 2019.

The Register will allow consumers to exclude themselves from all interactive wagering services in Australia, quickly and easily, through a single process. This will meet a critical gap in consumer protection for Australians who participate in online wagering. The Register is a key measure under the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.

The legislation allows the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to procure an independent third party technology provider to supply, operate and maintain the Register. Additionally, the legislation will give the ACMA the necessary powers to regulate and enforce industry compliance in how it interacts with and funds the Register.

National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering – Baseline Study Final Report.

On 24 November 2019, the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Anne Ruston released the final report of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering (National Framework) baseline study.

The aim of the study was to establish base levels of online wagering involvement, the prevalence of risky gambling behaviour, and levels of online wagering consumer harm, ahead of the full implementation of the National Framework. The baseline study sets a benchmark to inform future evaluation activities to determine the effectiveness of the National Framework.

Undertaken by the Australian Institute of Family Studies the independent study involved an online consumer survey with over 5,000 people who wager online, a review of online wagering service providers’ and gambling regulators’ websites, and interviews with online wagering service providers and regulators.

Over half of the survey participants (52 per cent) were classified as being at risk-of or already experiencing gambling-related harm. This confirms the actions of all Australian Governments to implement the National Framework, and to ensure that it keeps pace with best practice consumer protection and changes in technology over time.

The Report includes recommendations for Government on the implementation of the National Framework and for the future evaluation phases of the National Framework.

Customer Verification

On 26 February 2019, new rules came into force that significantly reduce the customer verification period for new online wagering consumers from 90 days to a maximum of 14 days. This is the first measure delivered under the National Framework, since its announcement late 2018. The measure will be reviewed in 12 months with the intention of further reducing the verification period to 72 hours.

Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Worldwide

National Framework announcement

On 30 November 2018, the Commonwealth made a public announcement of the joint National Framework. This has been developed in close consultation with the state and territory governments and key stakeholders over two years.

The National Framework provides – for the first time – strong, nationally consistent protections for consumers of Australian interactive wagering providers.

Restrictions on gambling advertising

On 6 May 2017, former Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, Minister for Communications and the Arts, announced the Broadcast and Content Reform Package. The package includes further restrictions on gambling advertising in live sporting events across all platforms to reduce the exposure of children to gambling.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has also implemented the restrictions for online platforms. These new rules came into effect on 28 September 2018 and mark the first time ‘broadcast like’ restrictions have been applied to online content services in Australia, providing consistency across broadcast, subscription and online.

On 30 March 2018, the gambling advertising restrictions commenced following the registration of revised broadcast industry codes of practice by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Betting restrictions and online wagering in Australia - A review of current knowledge

The Betting restrictions and online wagering in Australia – A review of current knowledge is a report prepared by the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC), Australian Institute of Family Studies, and commissioned by the Department of Social Services.

In September 2015, the Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering recommended that further research be undertaken on the impact of betting restrictions imposed by Australian licensed bookmakers on illegal offshore wagering and the identification of options to improve the situation.

In responding to Recommendation 15 of the Review, the Commonwealth Government commissioned the AGRC to investigate the current extent of betting restrictions and the impact of these restrictions in driving consumers to illegal offshore wagering operators.

The AGRC’s report, Betting restrictions and online wagering in Australia – A Review of current knowledge, provides a range of options for consideration, noting its interaction with other reform areas and the need for further research. The Commonwealth and state and territory governments are currently considering the findings of this report.

Gambling Measures Act 2012

The Gambling Measures Act 2012 took effect on 31 March 2014 and outlines the Commonwealth’s commitment to consult on the development of venue based voluntary pre-commitment in realistic timeframes.

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Gambling is a popular entertainment among Australians. Over 80% of Australian adults engage in gambling of some kind, which is the highest rate of gambling in the world.

Gambling is also a significant public health issue, with around 80,000 to 160,000 (or 0.5 - 1.0%) of Australian adults experiencing significant problems from gambling and a further 250,000 to 350,000 (or 1.4 - 2.1% of adults) experiencing moderate risks that may make them vulnerable to problem gambling.

Australia's Gambling Environment:

Australians love a punt and new research shows we wager more, and lose more, than any other country in the world. But some people say this is just because we have the most opportunity to gamble, given the huge numbers of venues that provide some form of gambling.

The 2010 Productivity Commission's Inquiry into Gambling found that there are as many as 6,807 hotels, pubs and clubs providing gaming in Australia. There are at least 4700 lottery outlets. And there are 13 casinos with more being planned.

According to 2014 statistics Tabcorp Limited offers totalisator and fixed odds betting on racing and sporting events in approximately 2,800 TAB retail outlets in agencies, hotels, clubs, as well as on-course in Victoria and New South Wales, and via internet, mobile devices, phone and pay TV. Sky Racing also owned by Tabcorp, is available in approximately 2.6 million homes and 5,400 commercial outlets in Australia, covering 90,000 races per annum. There are approximately 3,600 Keno outlets in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and approximately 6,200 Keno terminals

In the financial year of 2015-2016 Australians lost approximately $24 billion to gambling — more per capita than any other nation — with pokies by far the biggest contributor to those losses.

Gaming Machines

All states and territories in Australia have Electronic Gaming Machines (also known as gaming machines, EGMs, poker machines or 'pokies') available at licensed venues (with the exception of Western Australia which allows EGMs only at the casino and the ACT where Casino Canberra is not licensed to provide EGMs)

According to the World Count of Gaming Machines 2016, Australia has the sixth highest number of gambling machines in the world. Australia is estimated to have 197,122 electronic gaming machines (EGMs), which is 2.50% of the world's legally installed machines.

Around 600,000 Australians (4 per cent of the adult population) play on the 'pokies' at least weekly. While survey results vary, around 15 per cent of these regular players (95 000) are 'problem gamblers'. And their share of total spending on machines is estimated to range around 40 per cent.

The problems experienced by gamblers are as much a consequence of the technology of the games, their accessibility and the nature and conduct of venues, as they are a consequence of the traits of the gamblers themselves. NSW machines currently allow bets of up to $10,000 at a time. Current machines have up to 25 pay lines. In NSW the current max bet is $10 per spin.

Gambling in NSW:

New South Wales has a long history of gambling; Australia's first official horse racing meeting occurred in 1810 at Hyde Park in Sydney; the first official Australian lottery occurred in 1881 at the Sydney Cup; and registered clubs operated the first legal poker machines in Australia in 1956.

Approximately 95,800 of Australia's 'pokies' are in NSW, a state total beaten only by Nevada, which operated 181,109 gambling machines in 2014, and of course is home to Las Vagas. Between 1 December 2017 to 31 May 2018 NSW Clubs made a net profit of $1,945,161,625 (one billion, nine hundred forty-five million, one hundred sixty-one thousand, six hundred twenty-five dollars) and hotels made a net profit of $1,169,040,731 = one billion, one hundred sixty-nine million, forty thousand, seven hundred thirty-one dollars) from pokies alone.

Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Since

The 2011 NSW Gambling Prevalence Survey found that the most popular gambling activity undertaken among the NSW adult population is lottery products (41%), followed by instant scratch tickets (28%), pokies/gaming machines (27%), horse/greyhound races (24%), Keno (14%), sports betting (8%), table games in a casino (7%), private card games for money (3%), bingo (3%) and casino or pokies-style games on the Internet (2%). A breakdown of the most popular gambling activities for the Central Coast and Hunter reigons can be found in the table below:

Gambling on the Central Coast

According to the latest figures from Liquor and Gaming NSW there are 4,046 poker machines in 39 clubs on the Central Coast, and 626 poker machines in 29 hotels; making a total of 4,672 poker machines on the Central Coast. That means 2.37% of the total number of poker machines in Australia are on the NSW Central Coast.

In the six month period from 1 December 2017 to 31 May 2018 Clubs on the Central Coast made a net profit of $105,317,922.40 (One hundred five million, three hundred seventeen thousand, nine hundred twenty-two dollars and forty cents) from pokies and Hotels made a net profit of $24,714,552 (twenty-four million, seven hundred fourteen thousand, five hundred fifty-two dollars.) [source - https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/resources/gaming-machine-data]

The Central Coast has a higher prevalence of problem gambling than the NSW average. Young men between the ages of 18-24 living on the Central Coast are the biggest players of poker machines in NSW and are the highest risk group for problem gambling.

Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Uk

In 2008 Gambling Solutions carried out a survey of 200 young people aged from 13-24 and found that:

• 96% of people from 18-24 had gambled for money or possessions
• 62 % of those under 14 years old and 77 % of those aged up to 17 had gambled for money or items, including mobile phones and MP3 players
• 25.5% of 14-17 year olds and 55 % of 18-24 year olds had lost more than they had intended,
• and 6% under 18 had played a poker machine

Australia Problem Gambling Statistics Articles

Internet gambling in the Central Coast was the highest in NSW (5%). Although nearly invisible in official records, internet gambling appears to have grown rapidly, and spending could amount to around $800 million in the most recent year.