According to new research, an increasing number of Australians are gambling online, entering the risk territory. People have continued to gamble at elevated levels after the post-pandemic spike. This is according to centre for gambling research of The Australian National University.
Dr. Aino Suomi, the director of the gambling research center, said the new normal of gambling participation included entering lotteries. This rate has leveled off at about 60%. This is an increase from about 50% of the adult population who participated in gambling during the Covid-19 shut downs.
ANU research found a slight decrease in the number of participants over the 12 months since the poll was taken. It dropped from 61.3% to 60.3%. Gambling levels were sitting about 65.6% before the pandemic.
However, the research found that the number of people participating in gambling with risk increased from 11.6% last year to 13.6% in 2024.
The latest poll also found that online gambling is becoming increasingly popular. They have 33.4% of respondents placing bets on those platforms in the last 12 months. The report found that online gambling participation was highest for betting on sports and racing.
Suomi said that online gambling has exponentially increased and now considers it one of the main gambling platforms. The unlimited access to online gambling has the potential to cause real harm if not properly addressed.
Researchers collected data between April 2019 and January 2024. Using the same data, a separate report examined how gambling harm extended to others. About 1.2 million adults reported being personally affected by someone else’s gambling in the last 12 months.
Suomi said individuals affected by someone else’s gambling tended to be younger (18-24). They also tended to earn a lower income and experience problems related to their own gambling. Additionally, these individuals often deal with loneliness or psychological distress.
