Edition #6: Gambling and sport

Hands covered in dirt holding a football with a bunch of $50 notes
Hands covered in dirt holding a football with a bunch of $50 notes
Photo: iStock

New evidence

Latest statistics on Australian gambling show greater losses on sports betting and pokies

by Rose Babic and Lindsay Shaw
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The latest statistics on Australian gambling were released by the Queensland Government’s Statistician’s Office on 1 October 2016. Australian Gambling Statistics is a comprehensive set of statistics related to gambling in Australia that covers all legal gambling products. The Queensland Government has been compiling these stats annually since 1984, with the cooperation of all state and territory governments.

This thirty-second edition incorporates information on gambling in Australia up to and including 2014–15. It covers products such as pokies, casinos, race betting, sports betting and lotteries. Data includes total turnover, total expenditure, per adult turnover, per adult expenditure, percentage change in turnover and expenditure each year, market share of each gambling product and government revenue collected from gambling taxes.

Total losses, sports betting losses and pokies losses have risen, both nationally and in Victoria, between 2013–14 and 2014–15.

Gambling In Australia Overall losses $21.1 B in 2013-14 and $22.7 B in 2014-15 - up by 7.6 % Losses per adult $1171 in 2013-14 and $1241 in 2014-15 - up by 6 % In Victoria Overall losses $5.3 B in 2013-14 and $5.7 B in 2014-15 - up by 7.6 % Losses per adult $1181 in 2013-14 and $1250 in 2014-15 - up by 5.8 % Sports betting In Australia Overall losses $626 M in 2013-14 and $815 M in 2014-15 - up by 30.1 % Losses per adult $34.72 in 2013-14 and $44.50 in 2014-15 - up by 28.2 % In Victoria Overall losses 213 M in 2013-14 and $260 M in 2014-15 - up by 22.1 % Losses per adult $42.26 in 2013-14 and $56.44 in 2014-15 - up by 33.6 % Pokies In Australia Overall losses 11 B in 2013-14 and $11.59 B in 2014-15 - up by 5.4 % Losses per adult $613 in 2013-14 and $633 in 2014-15 - up by 3.3 % In Victoria Overall losses 2.5 B in 2013-14 and $2.57 B in 2014-15 - up by 2.8 % Losses per adult $554 in 2013-14 and $559 in 2014-15 - up by 0.8 %

Recent research led by Deakin University’s Emily Deans on the influence of physical and online environments on wagering behaviour explored factors that may encourage risky types of betting. The team also analysed the relationship between environments and gambling consumption via in-depth, qualitative research with young male sports gamblers.

Factors identified with risky behaviour included:

  • increased accessibility via mobile betting and apps, and multiple providers offering inducements to open accounts, leading to individuals having multiple accounts
  • constant inducements to continue betting, delivered via apps
  • a lack of a sense of reality when spending money gambling through online accounts
  • the emotional appeal of gambling in groups in pubs and clubs
  • being able to claim wins in cash at venues
  • the role of alcohol consumption at land-based venues.

For more on this study and other research related to the risks associated with the new gambling environment, read You can get it anywhere … in this edition of Inside gambling.

Find out more

Stay informed about the latest research and statistics with our Gambling Information Resource Office’s GIRO alert.

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