New study showing Australian spending on gambling

It is estimated that 6.8 million Australians are considered regular players. As we have seen many times in the past, Australia is one of the countries in the world where gambling is the most popular. Some 25 million people live in the area and many enjoy gambling. Lotteries remain the most popular forms of games, followed by scratch games and slot machines, called pokies.

Australia remains a country of gamblers

The Australian Gambling Research Center (AGRC) estimated this figure of 6.8 million people regularly gambling. Whatever the social level, there are many who play, but the budget allocated to games varies depending on the portfolios. For modest incomes, the share allocated to games can represent 10% while it is around 1% for the wealthiest households.

“Regular players are often men, aged 50 and over, who are 10 years old or younger in school, or who have at least a diploma or certificate. […] Regular players are also often retirees, those who live alone with one person and who are generally outside the big cities. Said Dr. Jennifer Baxter, head of the AGCR.

Over the course of 2015, these regular players spent $8.6 million on games, mainly lotteries, races and pokies. On average, the annual expense is $1.272, knowing that a poker player will spend much more, around $3,674. Scratching games fans are more numerous but spend less on average (about $622).

According to the AGCR, 7.9% of Australian players have experienced gambling problems at least once in their lifetime. 1% are considered problem gamblers, people who have trouble controlling their gambling expenses. These problem gamblers are spending well above average with about $6,241 a year. It is this part of the population in particular that is problematic, even though the whole country tends to like gambling and to give a significant share of their income for this activity.