ANU Publishes Two New Studies on Gambling

In July 2024, the Australian National University (ANU) released two studies on gambling participation and the harm from others' gaming, based on survey data collected since April 2019. The two studies covered:

• Gambling participation in Australia 2024: Trends over time, and profiles associated with online gambling (available here).
• Harm from someone else’s gambling: Affected others in the Australian population, 2024 (available here).

Both studies provide new insights into gambling prevalence in Australia, utilising unique data polls with reference to existing international and domestic research. Details on the two studies are outlined below. Gambling participation in Australia 2024: Trends over time, and profiles associated with online gambling The study provides an overview of current gambling trends in Australia. Key findings include:

• Gambling participation has decreased from 65.6 per cent pre-COVID-19 to 60.3 per cent last year.
• Sports betting is the most popular online gambling activity, followed by race betting, lottery, and raffles.
• Online gambling is more common among men, people aged 35 to 55, and full-time workers, while in-venue gambling is more frequent among women, seniors and non-working individuals.
• Higher incomes are linked to online gambling, while lower incomes are associated with in-venue gambling.
• Households with children tend to have higher rates of online gambling, which is linked to more frequent gambling and higher risk of problems. In-venue gamblers report more psychological distress, whereas online gamblers experience more loneliness.

Harm from someone else’s gambling: Affected others in the Australian population, 2024 The study aims to determine the first national prevalence rate for individuals affected by someone else’s gambling in Australia. Key findings include:

• About 5.8 per cent of Australian adults were impacted by others' gambling last year.
• Younger adults and those earning under $52,855 are more likely to be affected, with no significant gender difference.
• Affected individuals report higher levels of severe psychological distress (22.3 per cent) and loneliness (10.9 per cent).
• Intimate partners and dependent children are especially vulnerable to gambling harm.

The need for public health strategies to address the potential of gambling harm is highlighted in both studies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ClubASSIST on 1300 730 001 or at [email protected].