Alarming new gambling figures

Alarming new gambling figures

The number of Australians betting on sport has doubled in five years, and a third of spending on bets is placed by people with a gambling problem, according to new research.

Roy Morgan polling of 16,000 Australians found 15.5% had bet on sport in the 12 months to March. It also revealed problem gamblers made up almost 20% of some sports betting companies’ customer base.

The Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT has long advocated that gambling be a priority issue of social justice given the considerable number of connections between the major public health issue and others.

“The significant gambling losses occurring every day in NSW are harming individuals and families throughout our communities,” Former Moderator, Rev. Hansford said.

“So many issues we face as a community have connections to gambling, including family violence, relationship breakdowns, mental ill-health and homelessness. We want to ensure our communities grow in peace, health and happiness, and reducing gambling harm will be a significant contribution towards this positive growth.”

The research results were released on Tuesday 25 June by the Alliance for Gambling Reform to mark the first anniversary of a major parliamentary report calling for a ban on online gambling ads and making other recommendations.

The group’s interim chief executive, Martin Thomas, said: “These are huge numbers and they highlight how a predatory online gambling industry is ensnaring a whole new generation into gambling.

“We know that last year there were over a million gambling ads bombarding our screens. We have to stop this.”

A relentless wave of gambling advertising was “normalising” betting and “grooming children and young people to gamble”.

Thomas noted that the inquiry found an “inescapable torrent of gambling advertising is normalising online gambling and its links with sport, grooming children and young people to gamble, and encouraging riskier behaviour”.

In Australia, Gambling Help Online is available on 1800 858 858. The National Debt Helpline is at 1800 007 007. In the UK, support for problem gambling can be found via the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic on 020 7381 7722, or GamCare on 0808 8020 133. In the US, call the National Council on Problem Gambling at 800-GAMBLER or text 800GAM.

Jo Maloney

Share

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top