Gambling Statistics Victoria

We all know that lots of people have an interest in gambling. But do you have any idea just how many people gamble? The numbers are simply incredible, and they've only grown in the last two decades as online gambling has become more and more popular. Here's a look at some of the numbers that help give us an idea of the scope of the modern gambling world.

The Big Picture

Rates of gambling addiction for criminal offenders far exceed rates found among non-offenders. On average, an estimated 50 percent of those affected by gambling problems commit crimes in order to support their addiction. College Gambling. Gambling addiction statistics show people between the ages 20 and 30 have the highest rates of problem. Expenditure by Venue All amounts below are in Australian Dollars (AUD). Site disclaimers. Copyright; Disclaimer; Privacy © 2012 State of Victoria, Australia.

Trying to figure out exactly how many people around the world gamble is an inexact science. It's hard enough to be absolutely certain about the numbers in any one nation, so trying to cobble together a worldwide picture comes with a lot of potential error.

Still, there are numbers out there. For instance, a group of researchers from Washington University at St. Louis did a study on gambling rates and problem gambling in 2005. Their best estimate came to a total of 1.6 billion people gambling at some point during a given year, with over 4.2 billion having gambled at some point in their lives. With the increasing reach of online gambling, those numbers have probably only grown larger in recent years.

Some Key Online Gambling Statistics

  • The global market for online gambling reached around US$45.8 billion in 2017
  • In The UK, total gross gambling yielr 2017-18 was estimated at £14.5 billion
  • In 2017, the Canadian gambling industry was estimated to be $17.3 billion and is hotly tipped to keep growing
  • The worldwide online gambling market is forecast to double in coming years

Gambling by Country

Not all countries are equally enamored by gambling, though. Some nations have heavily restricted – or even banned – gambling, while others see placing bets as a major part of their way of life. So just which countries have the highest rates of gambling?

While there are different ways of measuring this, it's hard to pick a nation that's more into gambling than Australia. According to many studies, the average Australian spends more money on gambling than in any other nation – over $1,200 per adult each year. That's not that surprising when you consider that over 80% of Australian adults are said to be gamblers, which is also the highest rate in the world.

What's all the more amazing is how far ahead Australia is when compared to most of the world. A 2010 study showed that Singapore (which has two very new and successful casinos) was close behind Australia. But no other nation spends half as much per adult on gambling, with nations like Ireland, Canada and Italy all spending under $600 per adult per year on betting.

That's not to say that those in other countries aren't serious about gambling as well. In the UK, studies show that nearly 75% of adults gamble from time to time, and 85% of American adults are said to have gambled at least once in their lifetime – with 80% of them having done so in the last year.

Some More Statistics About Online Gambling

Online gambling is relatively new, and regulations vary tremendously from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, as does reporting. This means that finding reliable statistics for online gambling can be very difficult, though data reporting is becoming better every year.

A 2013 survey by SuperData Research found lot of information about just who gambles online, and how much gambling they do. One surprising finding that goes against most gambling stereotypes is that 57% of online gamblers in the United States are female, though this includes social casino gambling that may not be for real money. Less surprising is that online gamblers tend to be young, with well over 40% ranging in age from 21-34.

Other nations have taken steps to measure the size and growth of online gambling as well. In the UK, a survey taken in 2010 and early 2011 found that over 11% of the British public had taken part in 'remote gambling' over any given four week period – more than the number who were gambling in an entire year just a few years earlier. In 2012, the size of the UK online gambling market was pegged at £2.28 billion – over £1 billion more than in 2008.

Finally, mobile gambling has also been on the rise, especially in just the last few years. In 2012, numbers from the UK showed that mobile gambling was up 75% year-over-year, and that it now accounted for over 25% of all gambling related searches. It's no surprise that many industry experts believe that in the near future, mobile devices may be the primary source of online gambling worldwide.

Gambling Statistics - Your Questions Answered

How Many People Gamble in The US?

A Gallup Poll back in 2007 showed that 24% had visited a casino, 2% gambled online, and 46% had bought a lottery ticket. More recently, in 2016, another Gallup Poll showed 64% of Americans had gambled in the last year, with a still small 3% saying they'd gambled online.

How Many People Gamble In The UK?

A Gambling Commission Report shoed that 48% of responders had gambled in the previous four weeks, with 17% of those doing so online.

What Percentage Of People Gamble?

An estimated 26% of the world's population gamble in any given year, but this is a very approximate statistic as it would be impossible to accurately measure.

Please note content from the problemgambling.gov.au website can now be found here.

Gambling Reforms

Digital technologies are rapidly changing Australia’s gambling industry.

The 2015 Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering (the Review) noted that online wagering is the fastest growing gambling segment, with over $1.4 billion gambled online each year. Digital technology is also enabling operators to reach our phones, our televisions, our home computers at any time of the day or night.

The Review also noted that Australians are losing between $64 million and $400 million every year betting in illegal offshore sites, and this means tax revenue is also lost. In the online world, the proportion of problem gambling is three times higher than in other forms of gambling*.

* Hing, N., Gainsbury, S., Blaszczynski, A., Wood, R., Lubman, D., & Russell, A. (2014). Interactive gambling. Melbourne: Gambling Research Australia

The Government is delivering on its commitments outlined in the Response to the 2015 Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering with stronger consumer protection as the centrepiece of these reforms.

Government’s Response to Illegal Offshore Wagering

On 28 April 2016, the Government announced its response to the recommendations of the Review, supporting 18 of the Review’s 19 recommendations. This commitment included a three-staged approach:

  • The establishment of a National Consumer Protection Framework (National Framework) for online wagering, was announced on 30 November 2018.
  • Amending the law to make it clear that it is illegal for unlicensed overseas gambling companies to offer gambling products to Australians. The Australian Communications and Media Authority is empowered to have stronger enforcement mechanisms, enacted in the Interactive Gambling Amendment Act 2017.
  • Investigating the feasibility of other disruptions measures to curb illegal offshore gambling activity. The Government is implementing a website blocking scheme to protect Australians from illegal offshore gambling websites, as announced by the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts on 11 November 2019. The Australian Communications and Media Authority will use its powers to work in cooperation with Australian internet service providers to block illegal offshore gambling websites which are prohibited services under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

Latest News

‘Better Choices’ – Enhancing informed decision-making for online wagering consumers

The Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has released their findings from a randomised trial to determine the effect of activity statement features, to help consumers make informed decisions about their online wagering.

The aim of the trial was to design activity statement prototypes and test the effect of those activity statements on gambling behaviours in a simulated online betting environment.

BETA’s report, Better Choices – Enhancing informed decision-making for online wagering consumers, provides recommendations of activity statement prototypes including design and content features which are most likely to influence and empower consumers to make informed decisions about their online wagering activity.

The Commonwealth and state and territory governments are currently considering the findings of this report which are expected to inform the implementation of the ‘activity statements’ measure of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.

Gambling

The full report is available at https://behaviouraleconomics.pmc.gov.au/projects/applying-behavioural-insights-online-wagering.

National Self-Exclusion Register legislation

On 12 December 2019, legislation providing for the National Self-Exclusion Register (Register) for online wagering received Royal Assent. This included the Interactive Gambling Amendment (National Self‑exclusion Register) Act 2019 and the National Self‑exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Act 2019.

The Register will allow consumers to exclude themselves from all interactive wagering services in Australia, quickly and easily, through a single process. This will meet a critical gap in consumer protection for Australians who participate in online wagering. The Register is a key measure under the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering.

The legislation allows the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to procure an independent third party technology provider to supply, operate and maintain the Register. Additionally, the legislation will give the ACMA the necessary powers to regulate and enforce industry compliance in how it interacts with and funds the Register.

National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering – Baseline Study Final Report.

On 24 November 2019, the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Anne Ruston released the final report of the National Consumer Protection Framework for online wagering (National Framework) baseline study.

The aim of the study was to establish base levels of online wagering involvement, the prevalence of risky gambling behaviour, and levels of online wagering consumer harm, ahead of the full implementation of the National Framework. The baseline study sets a benchmark to inform future evaluation activities to determine the effectiveness of the National Framework.

Undertaken by the Australian Institute of Family Studies the independent study involved an online consumer survey with over 5,000 people who wager online, a review of online wagering service providers’ and gambling regulators’ websites, and interviews with online wagering service providers and regulators.

Over half of the survey participants (52 per cent) were classified as being at risk-of or already experiencing gambling-related harm. This confirms the actions of all Australian Governments to implement the National Framework, and to ensure that it keeps pace with best practice consumer protection and changes in technology over time.

The Report includes recommendations for Government on the implementation of the National Framework and for the future evaluation phases of the National Framework.

Customer Verification

Problem Gambling Victoria Statistics

On 26 February 2019, new rules came into force that significantly reduce the customer verification period for new online wagering consumers from 90 days to a maximum of 14 days. This is the first measure delivered under the National Framework, since its announcement late 2018. The measure will be reviewed in 12 months with the intention of further reducing the verification period to 72 hours.

Gambling Statistics Victoria Secret

National Framework announcement

On 30 November 2018, the Commonwealth made a public announcement of the joint National Framework. This has been developed in close consultation with the state and territory governments and key stakeholders over two years.

The National Framework provides – for the first time – strong, nationally consistent protections for consumers of Australian interactive wagering providers.

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Restrictions on gambling advertising

On 6 May 2017, former Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, Minister for Communications and the Arts, announced the Broadcast and Content Reform Package. The package includes further restrictions on gambling advertising in live sporting events across all platforms to reduce the exposure of children to gambling.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has also implemented the restrictions for online platforms. These new rules came into effect on 28 September 2018 and mark the first time ‘broadcast like’ restrictions have been applied to online content services in Australia, providing consistency across broadcast, subscription and online.

On 30 March 2018, the gambling advertising restrictions commenced following the registration of revised broadcast industry codes of practice by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

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Betting restrictions and online wagering in Australia - A review of current knowledge

The Betting restrictions and online wagering in Australia – A review of current knowledge is a report prepared by the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC), Australian Institute of Family Studies, and commissioned by the Department of Social Services.

In September 2015, the Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering recommended that further research be undertaken on the impact of betting restrictions imposed by Australian licensed bookmakers on illegal offshore wagering and the identification of options to improve the situation.

In responding to Recommendation 15 of the Review, the Commonwealth Government commissioned the AGRC to investigate the current extent of betting restrictions and the impact of these restrictions in driving consumers to illegal offshore wagering operators.

The AGRC’s report, Betting restrictions and online wagering in Australia – A Review of current knowledge, provides a range of options for consideration, noting its interaction with other reform areas and the need for further research. The Commonwealth and state and territory governments are currently considering the findings of this report.

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Gambling Measures Act 2012

The Gambling Measures Act 2012 took effect on 31 March 2014 and outlines the Commonwealth’s commitment to consult on the development of venue based voluntary pre-commitment in realistic timeframes.

Gambling Statistics Victoria County

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