On this page:

• Overview
• About the National Gambling Trends Study
• Broad and emerging trends
• Harm minimisation tools and strategies
• Gambling advertising
• Normalisation
• Additional themes
• Conclusion
• References
• Acknowledgements

Overview

This research summary is based on the National Gambling Trends Study 2023 consumer survey – an online survey held between July and September 2023 with Australian adults who bet online on sports or races at least monthly. It reports on consumer perspectives surrounding trends in online betting, gambling advertising and recently introduced consumer protection measures.

About the National Gambling Trends Study

Purpose

This is the second release of findings from the National Gambling Trends Study (NGTS), which is conducted annually by the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC) at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).

The aim of the NGTS is to present timely information on recent trends, emerging issues and possible future directions in gambling participation and related harms in Australia. The information is relevant for gambling policy makers and regulators, service providers, researchers and the broader community. Through the dissemination of NGTS, the AGRC aims to support the development and implementation of evidence-based approaches to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm in Australia.

Methods

The NGTS uses mixed-methods research, drawing on data from different sources to increase robustness and reliability. The current research summary is based on consumer surveys conducted online July–September 2023 with people who bet online on sports or races (also known as online wagering) on a regular basis (at least monthly) (N = 2,603).

As part of this survey, regular online bettors were asked their perspectives on gambling trends in Australia. This consisted of 4 open-ended questions. Online bettors were asked about the helpfulness of online consumer protection tools (Q1: 1,301 responses), as well as other harm minimisation tools the government should introduce going forward (Q2: 297 responses).

Participants were also consulted on emerging trends they were aware of in online gambling (Q3: 918 responses) and future directions for government policy and regulation (Q4: 2,251 responses). Participant responses were coded by a small team of researchers. These codes were then thematically analysed to establish broad themes that sat within and across the dataset.

Most online bettors who responded to the survey identified as ‘man/male’, reflecting the popularity of online betting among men (Suomi et al., 2024). The mean age for participants was mid to late thirties, with slight variance between each question’s respondents.

Reports

This research summary is 2 of 3 published for the 2023 release of the NGTS. The full suite includes:

1. Regular online bettors in Australia, 2023
2. Consumer perspectives on online betting: Trends in harm minimisation, advertising and normalisation, 2023
3. What characteristics of pokies gambling sessions are associated with higher risk gambling? 2023

Broad and emerging trends

In their open-ended responses, participants spoke about several broad gambling trends, including a perceived increase in online gambling; concerns for younger people; and an awareness of emerging platforms and promotions.

Increase in online gambling

Participants perceived an overall increase in online gambling in Australian society, including increases in the numbers of both people gambling and online providers offering easy access.

[Online gambling] seems more prevalent. I think more and more people are getting into it, and betting companies are getting smarter with events to bet on/types of bets. (Male, 24, Q3 (5125))¹

Online gambling applications continue to be released. There are now so many, it is so easy to place a bet. (Male, 46, Q3 (6181))

[I am aware of an] increase in gambling because it is easier to do on your phone. Even if you set limits on one account you could create another to gamble on. (Female, 19, Q3 (3198))

Concern for young people

In noting an increase in online gambling, respondents often indicated an awareness and concern surrounding the risks posed to young people specifically.

I believe more must be done. The amount of impressionable kids opening accounts the day they turn 18 like I did must change. These companies take advantage of people and place them in awful financial situations. (Male, 19, Q4 (1910))

It’s just too easy to do in Australia. You start when you’re young and it becomes something that is a norm. It shouldn’t be. (Female, 32, Q3 (2684))

The rate young Aussies are getting addicted to gambling is nuts. Almost all my friends and family have a betting account. (Male, 20, Q3 (6217))

There’s so many new apps and every [sports] game has gambling, I think the next generation are going to grow up addicted. (Male, 33, Q3 (5557))

New offerings

Online bettors were also aware of new offerings and promotions from gambling companies, such as group-betting platforms like Sportsbet’s ‘Bet With Mates’. These offerings were largely viewed unfavourably by respondents.

Bet With Mates is making gambling a social activity, [which] makes it harder for people suffering from gambling to give up if all their friends are gambling. (Male, 48 years, Q3 (5409))

Bet With Mates [is a] way to enforce group behaviour within betting on those who would otherwise not participate. (Male, 30, Q3 (6115))

Bet With Mates is the exact same as normal betting except it encourages a group mentality towards it, which is harmful. (Male, 22, Q3 (5066))

Evident among these responses, as well as in the wider dataset, is a general sense of unease and uncertainty concerning online gambling. When asked to consider the direction in which Australian betting is headed, participants spoke of concerns with increases in gambling uptake, accessibility and risk. In doing so, they broadly spoke in negative terms and were disapproving of new trends in the practice.

This is notable given these concerns come from individuals who bet online at least monthly. Despite being regular bettors themselves, many were pessimistic about the state of online betting in Australia.

Harm minimisation tools and strategies

One open-ended question asked participants about their experiences with a range of online betting consumer protection tools and harm minimisation strategies that have been introduced in Australia since 2018. While perspectives varied depending on the tool or strategy in question, sentiment was largely positive.

Activity statements were viewed most favourably by respondents. Emailed to online bettors monthly, these statements ensure customers are accurately informed of their wagering activity by service providers each month.

I find statements helpful because it shows how you[r] betting is actually going. Sometimes you think you are doing better than you actually are. (Female, 30, Q1 (1841))

Activity statements definitely made me realise … some of the wins I had weren’t profits. (Male, 22, Q1 (2129))

The monthly statement that is sent out is great as it helps you to be accountable and know how much you gambled throughout the month. (Male, 47, Q1 (3485))

Deposit limits, which, as of 2019, were required to be easily accessible and actively promoted to consumers by service providers, were also viewed favourably by participants, with some caveats.

Quite helpful. It’s always good when you remove limits, there’s a cooling off period. Makes you think, do I really need to take this limit off? (Male, 40 years, Q1 (6061))

I only bet within my means with what I can afford to lose. I have [deposit limits] in place on online bookmakers’ sites, but if you reached a limit on one, you can so easily just start using another bookie, so I’m not sure they achieve much. (Male, 42, Q1 (5534))

The NGTS 2023 survey was conducted over a period that saw the introduction of BetStop, the national self-exclusion register for online wagering. Prior to BetStop’s introduction, consumers could self-exclude from specific betting sites but not from online betting altogether. As a result, several online bettors surveyed during this pre-BetStop period called for stronger self-exclusion methods.

Reasonable but new companies arise often. Need to exclude yourself from every new company – would help if you could just ban yourself from all gambling (online bookmakers). (Male, 61, Q1 (5108))

Useless really. New bookies open every week, I can self-exclude from one bookie and open a new account the next day with another bookie. [There] needs to be some sort of directory that all bookies use to allow people to self-exclude from all bookies easily. Also some bookies make it really easy to self-exclude, others not so much. Some bookies require you to print off forms and sign them before sending them back. It shouldn’t be that hard to close an account when it took 5 minutes to create the account. (Male, 32, Q1 (2392))

Once introduced, BetStop provided consumers with the ability to self-exclude from all online bookmakers operating in Australia. Limited responses were gathered following BetStop’s introduction in August 2023. The few participants who did mention the measure after this period were mainly positive, though a workaround was mentioned by one bettor.

BetStop has dramatically reduced my online gambling. It’s very helpful. (Male, 27, Q1 (5939))

So far the self-exclusion tool BetStop has been helpful but it is very easy to get around this by using friends’ accounts or partners’ account[s]. (Male, 29, Q1 (5830))

Since first being implemented in 2023, over 30,000 Australians have registered to self-exclude from online wagering via BetStop (Australian Communications and Media Authority [ACMA], 2024). Further research on the measure will be helpful in evaluating its ongoing usefulness for online bettors in minimising gambling harm.

Tools for ‘problem gamblers’

Many participants commented that consumer protection measures, such as activity statements, deposit limits and BetStop, were only in place for people with serious ‘gambling problems’.² These tools were perceived as beneficial for other bettors who might be suffering from gambling-related harm but not for the participant themselves:

I don’t feel like I really need them as I’m in control but I predict that they would help if I had an addiction. (Male, 22, Q1 (3298))

I didn’t really need them. But they would be helpful to someone who does. (Female, 21, Q1 (3286))

I saw them sitting there but didn’t do anything with them as I didn’t have a problem. (Female, 24, Q1 (165))

Not helpful for me, not bad enough of a problem to need it, good to have for those that do, but kind of makes the experience more tedious for a casual enjoyer getting bombarded with spam about setting limits. (Male, 31, Q1 (5003))

Responses such as these align with other research that discusses the stigma associated with gambling addiction, which often results in bettors going out of their way to distance themselves from the label ‘problem gambler’ (Hing et al., 2015; Irving et al., 2024).

Further, these excerpts highlight a view among online bettors surveyed that the consumer protection tools mentioned are largely reactive in their approach to reducing gambling harm (i.e. geared towards those already suffering at high levels). However, the National Policy Statement introducing these tools clearly states that measures such as deposit limits are also in place to prevent gambling harm (Department of Social Services [DSS], 2022), presumably, before it occurs.

There appears to be a clear disconnect between these measures’ intentions and how online bettors themselves perceive them, illustrated by the participant above viewing deposit limit reminders as ‘spam’.

Responses like these indicate that certain bettors may be more in favour of unobtrusive regulation methods that prevent gambling harm, rather than measures that are perceived as interfering with low-risk consumer gambling experiences. Clearer communication and marketing of these protection measures as preventative (and intended for all gamblers rather than just those already at high risk of gambling harm) may encourage more bettors to make use of the services and act to prevent harm.

‘Band-aid fixes’

While most participants responded positively to harm minimisation tools such as activity statements, BetStop and deposit limits, some viewed them as being of little to no value. For those who experienced significant gambling harm, this was due to the relative ease with which the measures could be bypassed.

Next to no help at all. As a gambling addict you can always find a way to gamble. I don’t know why I am like this. I wish I could just stop and get my life back. Gambling is killing me. (Male, 30, Q1 (6157))

Band-aid fixes, easily changed or opted out of. (Male, 49, Q1 (5422))

Not helpful. Despite putting some in place, there are always workaround[s] so you still end up losing everything. (Male, 27, Q1 (5713))

Echoing prior responses about potential workarounds, these bettors clearly indicate that certain harm minimisation tools may not be as effective as desired in limiting gambling harm among those in the high risk category.

Gambling advertising

A key theme arising out of the survey responses was one of frustration with gambling advertising. Several participants expressed concerns about being prompted to limit their gambling via consumer protection tools while simultaneously being subjected to prominent gambling advertising campaigns that encouraged them to bet more.

I very much believe that the consumer protection aspects of gambling are very weak and offer very little impact at all. One only has to watch television at the moment and it is inundated with online gambling advertisements from sports to all other areas of gambling. From free betting offers, free credit to start an account, one can just go on and on … (Male, 65, Q1 (1789))

[Consumer protection tools are] not useful at all, I get ads everywhere and cannot hide from it. Everywhere I go I see gambling ads, which triggers me into having a punt. I am so sick of it. (Male, 25, Q1 (6044))

[Consumer protection tools] are garbage! It doesn’t mean anything when gambling ads are everywhere, it’s completely thrown in your face and makes it one of the hardest addictions ever. GET RID OF ALL GAMBLING ADS ALL THE TIME. (Male, 23, Q1 (5488))

These responses suggest that the effectiveness of consumer protection tools is being diminished by the prevalence of online gambling advertising.

Changes to gambling messaging

Advertising was the most common response to questions around potential changes to consumer protection measures. Several participants mentioned changes to gambling messaging at the end of advertisements, where the previous ‘Gamble responsibly’ tagline has been replaced with a suite of new messages such as ‘Chances are you’re about to lose’ and ‘What are you really gambling with?’.

Perceptions of the changed messaging were mixed among respondents, with some bettors viewing the new messages positively:

The new disclaimers for all gambling promotion are a good reminder not to spend outside your means. (Male, 34, Q1 (2757))

I like how the ads now state that you’re going to lose more [than] you gain. It’s a bit of a reality check.(Male, 32, Q4 (3123))

While other participants were less enthusiastic about the changes:

STOP GAMBLING ADS. I am constantly bombarded now every time I turn on the radio, tv or go on Instagram. I love punting but I find it disgusting the amount of ads there are now for gambling and the mono-tonal ‘what are you really gambling with?’ actually makes the ads worse and more noticeable, I can block out a gambling ad as white noise but as soon as I hear that 9/10 it makes me think about gambling so deep I end up back on an app betting. (Male, 23, Q2 (5228))

Crack down on gambling ads. They are horrendous and are everywhere. They encourage it as a good activity to do with your mates. The slogans at the end do nothing to stop people gambling. (Male, 28, Q2 (5194))

Gambling advertising restrictions

Participants were strongly in favour of further restrictions to gambling advertising. Many bettors advocated for a full ban, with several suggesting the government should use prior tobacco advertising bans as an example.

Not enough has been done so far, [gambling] ads need to be banned like tobacco ads were ... gambling culture needs to be seriously tackled, and I say that as someone who gambles regularly. (Male, 40, Q4 (2433))

Stop [gambling] advertising. Smoking is vilified and taxed to the nines yet it does not have nearly the same amount of risks like gambling, drinking or junk food have and yet those things are marketed and advertised everywhere. (Female, 37 , Q2 (1930))

All I know is that you can’t watch sport without it being advertised non-stop, same with booze, I think both need to go the path of tobacco advertising. (Male, 42, Q3 (1327))

I think advertisements for betting aren’t great. It’s like cigarettes, we don’t have ads for those, why promote betting? People will still know it’s there, just not so in their face. (Female, 27, Q4 (2629))

Other bettors stopped short of calling for a full ban and instead called for gambling advertising to be limited in several different ways.

The advertising is excessive and should be limited to racing and gambling programs/broadcasts. (Male, 51, Q3 (6055))

There needs to be more regulation surrounding advertising for betting companies, e.g. limiting the amount of time that betting companies can advertise in any given hour on television. Banning on screen presenters promoting gambling and showing odds would be highly effective. (Male, 34, Q4 (1635))

Tighter control of ads. The recent ‘feel the sensation’ ad is across the line in encouraging gambling. Ads should only advertise they offer a service and nothing more; that’s if betting ads should even be allowed at all. (Males, 25, Q2 (6106))

There was a diverse range of views on how and to what extent gambling advertising should be limited in Australia. However, there was general agreement among the bettors consulted that gambling advertising is harmful and should be significantly limited. A small number of participants responded to the contrary.

There should be no changes to advertising and inducement laws. Punters need to know when events are on and what offers are available to them. (Males, 48, Q4 (5274))

The disclaimers are about as far as I’d want the government to go aside from making help information available. (Males, 30, Q4 (3261))

Normalisation

The normalisation of online gambling in Australian culture was cited as another key concern. In discussing current gambling trends, many participants noted that online gambling was becoming an increasingly acceptable and common practice among their peers. Several respondents saw this being driven by gambling advertising, particularly during sports broadcasts.

I see gambling becoming more normalised. I see young women and young mothers betting on the AFL while at the game and I’d never really seen that before. The prominence of betting app advertising has increased exponentially in the last 5 years and it seems to be everywhere I look when watching sports! (Male, 41, Q3 (5001))

There is so much more advertising on the TV during sporting events. When I have been to AFL games this year I have overheard many times in the crowd people talking about their bets. Sometimes it seems they are looking at their bets more than the game and enjoying the live action. (Female, 37, Q3 (776))

I think there’s a disconnect between the level of supposed concern about gambling issues versus how entrenched it is within society. Every second ad during the NRL is from a gambling agency … Given the heavy-handed approach taken by the government against the tobacco industry I don’t understand why so little is done about gambling if it’s such a big concern. (Male, 32, Q4 (6080))

I am annoyed at the NRL focus on Sportsbet and in-game gambling, every 5 seconds there’s an ad for Sportsbet. Also a lot of the teams are sponsored by gambling companies these days, which is also annoying. And Channel 9 crossing over to the Sportsbet guy talking about odds, etc., really irritates me. It should be banned. It’s as if the sport just exists purely for gambling and the media promotes it constantly. (Male, 46, Q3 (1147))

These findings are aligned with other research that suggests advertising plays a key role in normalising and encouraging online gambling practices (Pitt et al., 2023). Other participants were concerned with the impacts this normalisation process would have on young Australians yet to reach legal gambling age.

Under 18s will always find ways to gamble, the issue now is the ubiquity of the phone and the apps, this never existed [before] so dependence was much harder to build … These days, I suspect its far too easy – especially given it is blasted on TV during [sports] events and kids have phones stuck to their hand. (Male, 48, Q3 (1443))

Everyone seems to start doing it younger with more money. [The] culture [is] already ingrained before turning 18. (Male, 19, Q3 (2230))

Young kids talk about who’s going to win the footy in odds already – that’s so wrong … gambling shouldn’t be advertised during the game especially during the day. (Female, 33, Q3 (2703))

Gambling advertising and particularly in connection with major sports is out of control. Young people cannot engage with sport without being exposed to odds and advertising. Gambling is over-normalised. (Male, 41, Q4 (5919))

As shown above, participant concerns about the uptake of online betting are closely intertwined with frustration towards gambling advertising. Online bettors themselves are aware of the impact advertising has on betting’s normalisation in Australian culture and are concerned about the way sport is used as a means of furthering this normalisation.

Additional themes

Awareness and support

When discussing future policy directions, several participants called for greater gambling awareness and support. Some noted that gambling harm and its effects were not yet well understood by the Australian public, while others advocated for greater assistance for those most affected.

Gambling harm awareness. It can be difficult for people to understand when you explain you’re a problem gambler. It’s not like smoking, [where] people are aware of the effects, gambling has become a part of our community. (Male, 27, Q2 (5939))

More awareness of gambling addiction and support for those already addicted. (Male, 34, Q2 (1111))

Coaching or mentoring for people seeking to overcome gambling addictions. You cannot deal with it on your own. (Male, 40, Q2 (6040))

I think gambling should be treated like the addiction it can be. (Male, 32, Q4 (2392))

These comments highlight that a public health approach to addressing gambling harm is needed to reduce undue focus on individual responsibility.

Fairness among providers

Several participants also raised concerns about the operating tactics of bookmakers. In recent years, there have been concerns about wagering businesses restricting gamblers from making certain bets or even banning their accounts entirely where they are winning. Meanwhile, these companies are simultaneously targeting losing punters with promotions and inducements (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, 2023). A number of bettors were aware of this business practice and some called for regulatory changes to address it.

Bookmakers are happy to take money from problem gamblers, but [are] quick to limit and ban any players that have an edge over them and win. (Male, 33, Q2 (5088))

Stop people having accounts closed by bookmakers when they are winning. I know this has happened to people who continually win. (Male, 62, Q2 (5935))

Limit the bookies’ ability to block winning punters. Also they shouldn’t be able to offer promos to just losing punters. (Male, 41, Q2 (6164))

Minimising impact for low-risk bettors

A final concern communicated by some participants was a desire for future regulatory changes to have a minimal impact on low-risk bettors.

As long as it doesn’t affect the way that I gamble, I’m happy for new regulations to be introduced for problem gamblers. (Male, 70, Q4 (1974))

I think having regulations to help problem gamblers is important. However, they should not be so restrictive as to impinge on the freedom of others to gamble responsibly. (Male, 75, Q4 (83))

I’d love to see those who need it supported, but some people (me) really do just enjoy gambling for fun … so I’d also love for these sorts of gamblers to not be impacted negatively. (Female, 47, Q4 (5246))

Conclusion

A diverse range of responses and views were provided by online bettors in answering the 4 open-ended questions in the NGTS 2023 consumer survey.

Overall, regular online bettors are concerned about the trajectory of Australian gambling. This includes both the increase in the accessibility and popularity of online betting, along with the impact of this increase on younger populations.

Harm minimisation measures implemented by the Australian Government, such as deposit limits, activity statements and BetStop, were viewed by bettors as being mostly positive introductions.

Meanwhile, changes to gambling advertising taglines received a mixed reception – while some bettors viewed them as having little to no impact, others viewed them as helpful changes.

However, all of these measures were considered largely insufficient in addressing the increasing harms caused by online betting in recent years. Many online bettors viewed the tools as reactive (rather than preventative) and only useful for those already suffering from gambling-related harm.

The key ‘preventative’ strategy that many regular online bettors mentioned was a reduction in gambling advertising, with some suggesting a full ban. Many bettors expressed doubts about the effectiveness of consumer protection tools such as BetStop, given the continued prevalence of gambling advertising throughout the country’s media and sport. Within the context of the current debate on gambling advertising, the fact that a significant number of regular online gamblers in our sample supported further restrictions is noteworthy.

These responses also highlight that better messaging and communication strategies are needed to promote consumer protection tools for all gamblers, not just those ‘at risk’. These protection measures should be further evaluated on their effectiveness, given the disconnect between their intentions and how they are perceived and used by online bettors.

References

Australian Communications and Media Authority. (2024). BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register statistics: Q1 2024–2025. www.acma.gov.au/publications/2024-10/report/betstop-national-self-exclusion-register-statistics-q1-2024-2025

Department of Social Services (DSS). (2022). National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering in Australia: National Policy Statement. DSS, Australian Government. www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2022/national-policy-statement-updated-3-may-2022.pdf

Hing, N., Nuske, E., Gainsbury, S. M., & Russell, A. M. T. (2015). Perceived stigma and self-stigma of problem gambling: Perspectives of people with gambling problems. International Gambling Studies, 16(1), 31–48. doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2015.1092566

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs. (2023). You win some, you lose more: Online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm. Parliament of Australia. www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Social_Policy_and_Legal_Affairs/
Onlinegamblingimpacts/Report

Irving, R., Olive, R., Phillips, M. G., & Carah, N. (2024). ‘It’s pretty sad if I’m just betting by myself …’: Navigating shame and stigma in everyday sports betting. Leisure Studies, 1–15.

Pitt, H., McCarthy, S. & Thomas, S. (2023), The Impact of marketing on the normalisation of gambling and sport for children and young people. In D. McGee & C. Bunn (Eds.). Gambling and sports in a global age (Research in the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 18), Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 169–183. doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420230000018011

Suomi, A., Hahn, M., & Biddle, N. (2024), Gambling participation in Australia 2024: Trends over time, and profiles associated with online gambling. Australian National University. csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2024/7/Gambling_in_Australia_2024_002.pdf

Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF). (2024). Reducing stigma: A guide for talking about gambling harm. VRGF. responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/documents/1266/FINAL_-_Gambling_harm_language_guide_-_March_2024.pdf

Acknowledgements

The Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC) was established under the Commonwealth Gambling Measures Act 2012. Our gambling research program reflects the Act, embodies a national perspective and has a strong family focus. Our work forms part of the functions of the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).

Featured image: © GettyImages/Nes

¹Q3 refers to the question online bettors were responding to (4 questions in total, Q1–Q4). The following number is each respondent’s individual participant ID. The participant ID is shown to differentiate between respondents, particularly where demographics are similar (e.g. several respondents are the exact same age and gender).

 ²‘Problem gambler’ is a complicated term that often results in stigma towards those affected (see Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation [VRGF], 2024). Although avoiding this term is generally recommended, it is included in quotation marks here as it reflects the language that online bettors themselves are using when discussing those experiencing gambling harm.