Australians have long had the unwanted tag of being the world’s biggest losers in gambling. New research now estimates that more than 15% of the population, over 3.3 million, are experiencing some kind of gambling harm.
Roy Morgan, which claims to be Australia’s largest independent research company, revealed the results of a recent survey looking at gambling harm in the country.
The data showed that 13% of Australians (an estimated 2,857,000 people) are experiencing some form of gambling harm from their own gambling behaviors. A further 5.4% of the population (1,177,000 people) are experiencing harm from another person’s gambling.
Australians Feel Financial & Emotional Hit
Primarily, the harm felt is financial. The most common harm from gambling was a “reduction of available spending money,” followed by a “reduction of savings,” and ‘less spending on recreational expenses.”
In January, New South Wales reported record losses on poker machines (pokies), equating to $245 per adult resident over three months. This represents a 9% increase from the previous year, ranking the region among the world’s largest gambling losers.
In addition to the financial impact, many Australians reported that their gambling has caused mental distress. A total of 5.9% of adults aged over 18 years old, the legal gambling age in Australia, said they had regrets about their gambling. Other effects included feeling ashamed, feeling like a failure, feeling distressed, and spending less time with people they care about.
Government Introduces Restrictions on Gambling Ads
Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, said with new gambling reforms set to be introduced by the Albanese Government, it’s more important than ever to have an in-depth understanding of the harm gambling causes to millions of Australians.
The government has introduced new policies aimed at reducing gambling harm, including:
- Ban on gambling ads during live sport on television between 6 am and 8:30 pm.
- A maximum of three gambling ads per hour on TV outside live sport during those hours.
- Ban on gambling ads in sports stadiums and on players’ uniforms.
- Ban on celebrities, athletes, and sporting personalities appearing in gambling ads.
- Ban on gambling radio ads during school drop-off and pick-up periods.
- Ban on online gambling ads, unless people have a logged-in account, are over 18, and have the option to opt out.
- Stronger enforcement against illegal offshore gambling operators.
- Additional funding for gambling harm education and financial counseling.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the measures aimed to strike a balance between giving bettors freedom and addressing concerns of gambling harm.
The new rules are “letting adults have a punt if they want to, but making sure our children don’t see betting ads everywhere they look,” Albanese said in a speech when announcing the measures in April. The rules will come into force from January next year.
Critics Call for Complete Ban on Ads
Critics, however, have called for a complete ban on gambling ads. Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesperson Tim Costello said that allowing three ads per hour, for example, was far too many.
“Imagine three cigarette ads per hour,” Costello said. “Australian children deserve to grow up in a country that puts their wellbeing before corporate profits.”
Gambling groups have faced accusations of underhanded lobbying to prevent a full ban from being implemented. Kai Cantwell, CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia, a trade body for gambling companies, said the new measures are “draconian” and set a “dangerous precedent.”
“Today it’s gambling advertising, tomorrow it’s alcohol, then it’s sugary drinks, fast food, critical minerals, and who knows what else comes next,” Cantwell warned.
