A brand new report exhibits downside playing is rising in Australia, with mortgage stress a big contributor to the elevated charges amongst younger individuals.
Analysis firm Roy Morgan launched a brand new report on playing in Australia, which put the variety of downside gamblers at 622,000. That is 2.9% of the grownup inhabitants, greater than the UK (2.7%), the US (1.3%), and Europe (1.3%).
Estimates put the overall playing losses of Australians at over $1,500 per capita. That is greater than every other nation on the planet. For comparability, Individuals lose round $800 per grownup.
Drawback Playing Charges Growing Considerably
The 622,000 Australians who match the profile of ‘downside gamblers’ is up a major 111,000 (22%) from a 12 months in the past, and up 230,000 from two years in the past.
In line with the analysis, a complete of three,492,000 Australians (16.2%) are both downside gamblers or at-risk gamblers.
One of many contributors to creating playing issues was mortgage stress. The report famous that over a 3rd of downside gamblers are vulnerable to mortgage stress.
Mortgage charges in Australia have climbed from report lows of round 2% in 2021 to over 5.5% in 2025, the steepest rise in additional than a decade.
Youth 3 Instances Extra Possible To Have Issues
Australians beneath 35 are greater than 3 times as prone to be downside gamblers in comparison with these over 50.
The Australian authorities has launched measures to scale back the chance of playing amongst minors. Final 12 months, the nation up to date tips round video games that embody loot containers and different gambling-like mechanisms.
Different international locations have been contemplating related measures with Spain, Brazil, the UK, and Singapore all reviewing playing in video games not too long ago.
Calls For Ban On Playing Adverts In Sport
There have additionally been calls to ban promoting in sports activities and esports in Australia to fight the rise in younger individuals playing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanes, nonetheless, worries a ban will ship bettors offshore. He acknowledged, “What’s in our thoughts is the practicalities of whether or not individuals simply go offshore, then there’s no income in any respect.
“They interact in playing with no income coming again in any respect. And it doesn’t remedy the issue.”
In Europe, betting corporations up to date their requirements round promoting final week, however critics argue strict guidelines are essential to maintain the business in examine.
The Australian authorities collected AU$2.3 billion ($1.5 billion) in tax income from playing final 12 months, which can clarify the dearth of urgency to handle the problem.
