Behind the Bets: ACT Survey Shows Gambling Harm Touches Tens of Thousands
Description
CQUniversity's Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory findings enables harm prevention and support, communications and regulatory strategies to protect people from harm as the gambling environment continues to evolve.Results from the Gambling Survey in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) found that gambling-related harm is not just conceptual but is associated with real-life impacts such as financial hardship, lower wellbeing and increased alcohol use.
Partners
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Gambling and Racing Commission
Impact
The findings in the report will enable the Commission to refine gambling harm prevention and support, communicate and develop regulatory approaches to protect the community from harm as the gambling environment continues to evolve.
A survey of more than 10,000 adults has revealed the most comprehensive study into gambling harm in the ACT, finding that around one in six ACT adults, approximately 58,000 people, experience some harm from gambling.
The 2024 ACT Gambling Survey - conducted by CQUniversity’s Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory and commissioned and funded by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission - found that 53.2 per cent of ACT residents took part in some form of gambling in the past year.
While that figure shows an ongoing decline in the percentage of adults participating in gambling, compared to previous surveys, those who do gamble are more likely to experience gambling problems.
Key findings include:
- Men were more likely to gamble than women, across almost all gambling types
- Young women without tertiary education were the most likely to be harmed by someone else’s gambling
- Pokies cause the greatest harm, accounting for about one-third of harm to people who gamble
- A small number of people who gamble account for most of the losses: 1.4 per cent of people who gamble account for 45.5 per cent of total gambling losses and related industry profit.
- Online gambling is increasing, with 26.9 per cent of ACT adults gambling online, up from 20.9 per cent in 2019 and 8.4 per cent in 2014
The findings in this report will enable the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission to refine gambling harm prevention and support, communications, and regulatory approaches to protect Canberrans from harm.
The report also explored public attitudes to harm reduction, with results showing that around two-thirds of ACT adults want to see a decrease in the number of pokies in the community - and nearly half supporting a substantial reduction.
The full report can be accessed the 2024 ACT Gambling Survey.
More information on the activities of the Gambling and Racing Commission is available at gamblingandracing.act.gov.au.
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