More Australians are turning to gambling, and the downsides are hitting harder too, according to a fresh government survey out this week. The study highlights a clear uptick in both participation and gambling harm among adults Down Under.
Researchers at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) ran this nationwide poll in 2024, and it shows that 65.1 percent of Australian adults placed a bet or gambled at least once over the previous year. That’s a jump from 57 percent back in 2019, signaling rising gambling rates in Australia.
The numbers get tougher when you look at the harm. About 15 percent of those surveyed in 2024 said they faced gambling-related problems in the past year—like borrowing cash or selling belongings to keep betting. That’s higher than the 11 percent reported in 2019, pointing to growing concerns over gambling addiction and its impacts.
Regular gamblers aren’t left out either: 31.9 percent of Australian adults now gamble at least once a month, with men jumping in more often than women.
The survey flags a worrying group—2.6 percent of adults fall into the high-risk category for gambling harm. For these folks, 68.1 percent deal with cognitive, behavioral, or mental health issues, and a stark 15.5 percent have had suicidal thoughts tied to their habits. Younger people face extra risks: Aussies aged 18-24 who gamble monthly are nearly twice as likely to be in that high-risk zone compared to older groups.
This comes alongside separate data from Queensland’s government stats office, which revealed that Australians shelled out a whopping 32 billion Australian dollars (about 21.1 billion US dollars) on legal gambling in 2022-23. That makes Australia the world leader in per capita gambling losses, underscoring just how big this issue has become.
AIFS director Liz Neville shared her take on Wednesday, calling for a closer look at current efforts to curb gambling harm. “Gambling is everywhere in our lives, and we need stronger ways to support families, communities, and the people struggling with their own betting habits,” she said. She stressed the need to test and tweak harm reduction strategies to make them more effective.
When it comes to what Aussies are betting on, lotteries top the list as the most popular form of gambling. Scratch tickets, slot machines, horse racing, and sports betting round out the common activities reported in the 2024 survey.
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