Australia Faces Rising Tide of Risky Gambling, ANU Study Finds
Summary
The Australian National University’s latest National Gambling Survey, led by Associate Professor Aino Suomi and co-authored by Dr Markus Hahn and Professor Nicholas Biddle, shows a worrying rise in harmful gambling behaviour despite a long-term fall in overall participation. Using the Problem Gambling Severity Index, the report finds that 19.4% of Australian adults gambled at risky levels in the past year — the highest rate in six years.
The study links the increase in harm to a surge in online gambling, which now accounts for more than half of all gambling activity in Australia. Online play is associated with higher frequency, greater risk-taking and increased psychological distress. The ANU findings echo similar warnings from the Australian Gambling Research Centre.
Author’s take
Punchy and to the point: this isn’t just stats on a spreadsheet — it’s a sign of a shifting gambling landscape where easy online access is dragging more people into damaging behaviour. Policymakers and operators should be paying attention now.
Key Points
- 19.4% of Australian adults reported gambling at risky levels in the past year (ANU National Gambling Survey).
- Overall gambling participation has declined over the past 15 years, but harmful gambling is rising.
- Online gambling now represents more than half of all gambling activity and is strongly linked to riskier behaviour and psychological distress.
- Typical online gamblers skew younger (men aged 25–34), are more likely to hold trade certificates/diplomas, be in full-time work and in higher-income households.
- Lottery purchases remain most common (41.3%), followed by scratch/raffle tickets, electronic gambling machines and race betting.
- Sports betting rose to 7% of gambling activity from 4.7% in 2024 and shows the highest online participation among product types.
- Use of illegal online products (e.g. pokies, casino table games) has doubled since the previous year.
Context and Relevance
Why this matters: the study highlights a major behavioural shift toward online platforms that move gambling from public venues into private homes — increasing exposure and reducing oversight. The rise in risky gambling comes as regulators, health services and industry debate how to curb harm without pushing players to illegal sites. For policymakers, public-health advocates and operators, these findings inform debates on advertising limits, age and identity checks, affordability safeguards and stricter online compliance.
The ANU data also helps target prevention: knowing online gamblers are often younger, employed and higher-earning challenges stereotypes and points to where education and intervention could be focused.
Why should I read this?
Short answer: because if you care about gambling harm, public policy or the iGaming market in Australia, this piece saves you the time of wading through the full report. It flags where the problem is growing (online), who’s most affected (young working men) and which products are driving the change — all the bits that matter for making quick decisions or shaping a response.
