The stakes are too high: the gambling industry must step up to reduce harm

The latest findings from the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC) paint a concerning picture: gambling participation is rising, and so too are the harms that impact individuals, families and communities.

The National Gambling Prevalence Study Pilot, based on a nationally representative survey of 3,881 adults, reveals that nearly two-thirds (65%) of Australians gambled at least once in the past year. Alarmingly, 15% of adults, or 3.1 million people, experienced gambling-related harms, an increase from previous national estimates.

The study also highlights that key groups are particularly affected. This includes younger adults, with 18-24 year olds who gamble regularly nearly twice as likely to be at high risk of harm compared to older age groups, as well as First Nations Australians reporting experiencing gambling harms at nearly double the rate of non-Indigenous Australians.

These harms are not abstract. They manifest in deeply personal and painful ways: feelings of guilt and stress, borrowing money or selling possessions to fund gambling, going without basics, and chasing losses in a cycle that rarely ends well. Indeed, among high-risk gamblers, 66% reported experiencing financial stress.

High-risk gamblers in the study were also more likely to report suicidal thoughts, and a startling 68% experienced cognitive, behavioural or mental health conditions. An association between gambling frequency and the experience of intimate partner violence was also observed. The links between gambling and other serious issues impacting individuals and their families are becoming increasingly stark.

National prevalence studies are critical for building this strong evidence base. The pilot study from AGRC has provided invaluable insights on rising participation in gambling activities and the extent of gambling harms — who is most affected, how behaviours lead people there, and the consequent impacts. This provides a more complete picture that can’t be gleaned through current studies alone.

Also critical is the need to monitor the effectiveness of consumer protection measures – initiatives like the online gambling self-exclusion register, BetStop, and mandatory carded play on poker machines. Are these measures making a difference to gambling participation and harm? More assertive links between policy and practice, and research, could guide more impactful responses.

Having a reliable source of truth on gambling prevalence and harms, and building the evidence base year on year to inform ongoing action is vitally important. But it also creates the conditions for driving greater accountability in the system.

Most harm reduction measures currently in place — like those mentioned earlier, along with things like the option to opt out of promotions or calling a gambling helpline — put the onus squarely on the individual gambler to recognise and change their own behaviour. However, our research shows gamblers perceive preventative tools as being intended solely for 'problem gamblers', rather than as universal safeguards for everyone. As a result, action is often delayed – and by the time it is taken, if at all, gamblers and their families are likely to already be experiencing harms – ranging from mild to catastrophic.

Where is the gambling industry in this picture? We know companies are well placed to monitor gambling patterns — tracking when and where it’s occurring, when spending spikes, and how much people are losing.

Just as legislation is being drafted to create a Digital Duty of Care, to put the onus on tech companies to proactively keep Australians safe and better protect against online harms, the gambling industry could be compelled to identify and protect high-risk gamblers and intervene earlier to prevent problem gambling.

These two initiatives in combination — an annual national prevalence study linked to continuous improvement of consumer protection measures and requirements on the gambling industry to play an active role in reducing harms — would provide us with the best chance of reducing the life-changing impacts of gambling.

Implementing these initiatives would signal to families and communities that safeguards are being put in place. A person experiencing high-risk gambling can affect up to 6 other people around them. Australia’s gambling losses — $32 billion annually — are the highest per capita in the world. This is a clear signal that we are falling short in protecting our community from a pervasive and damaging industry.

The stakes have never been higher, and with that comes a clear duty of care. The gambling landscape is evolving rapidly, and interventions must evolve with it. We must actively monitor, detect and intervene to prevent gambling harm. Evidence-based action is not optional, it’s essential. The data is clear. The harms are real. And the cost of inaction is too great.