Gambling in Australia
28/09/2011

Australians spend around $19 billion on gambling each year - an average of $1,500 per adult. Yes, you read it right - $19 billion.

You may be wondering why we've included an article about gambling in your membership newsletter. The simple answer is that as part of our regular research into the spending habits of Australians, we came across these numbers and felt they were such an eye-opener that we wanted to share them with you.

The numbers

The Productivity Commission released a landmark report into the gambling habits of Australians in 2009. Some of the key statistics included within it are:

The numbers have clearly caught the eye of many others as well. Gambling is a key area of focus for the federal parliament, as well as many state governments around Australia.

With parliaments spending a lot of time in recent years looking at the effect that gambling has on the community, many expect reforms to gambling rules and regulations, particularly around spending limits and advertising.

A history of gambling in Australia

To understand how Australians became such willing gamblers, let's have a look at how gambling has become a part of life over the past 200 years.

Source: Australian Gaming Council (www.austgamingcouncil.org.au)

If you want to learn more about Australians' gambling habits and the gambling industry in general, the Productivity Commission's full report is available here.

Information on problem gambling is available at www.problemgambling.gov.au.