An international study has found Australians gamble more than any nation on earth and that the global impact of gambling was worse than previously thought.
A Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling involved leading international experts in gambling studies, public health, global health policy, risk control and regulatory policy, including Monash University’s Associate Professor Charles Livingstone.
“Australians spend the most per head on gambling worldwide, $1555 per adult per year,” Associate Professor Livingstone said.
“Both online betting, boosted by close connection with football and other sports, and electronic gaming machine gambling continues to grow at a rapid pace here, despite escalating concerns of ordinary people and the voice of those affected by gambling harms becoming more prominent.”
He said new figures from the Commission showed that harms from commercial gambling to global health and wellbeing were far worse than previously understood, with net consumer losses projected to reach more than AUD$1 trillion annually by 2028.
“This is largely due to a rapid global expansion of mobile technology, and the gambling industry’s digital transformation.”
Associate Professor Livingstone said a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted for the Commission estimated that about 448.7 million adults worldwide were negatively impacted by gambling.
He said this was where individuals experienced at least one behavioural symptom or adverse personal, social or health consequence of gambling.
“Of these, an estimated 80 million adults experience gambling disorder or problematic gambling.”
He said gambling harms included physical and mental health problems, relationship breakdown, heightened risk of suicide and domestic violence, increased rates of crime, loss of employment and financial losses.
“Gambling poses a threat to public health, the control of which requires a substantial expansion and tightening of gambling industry regulation.”
Associate Professor Livingstone said the Commission called for effective gambling regulation in all countries, regardless of gambling’s legal status.
“This should include reduced population exposure and gambling availability, through prohibitions or restrictions on access, promotion, marketing and sponsorship.”
He said it also recommended affordable, universal support and treatment for gambling harms alongside well-resourced social marketing and awareness campaigns to raise awareness of harms.
“There is a desire for change and to rightly treat gambling as a serious public health issue in Australia, given the extent and nature of harm. Yet extensive evidence of dishonest and illegal behaviour by casino operators requires Herculean efforts to properly regulate these entities, and the commercial gambling industry more broadly have been shown to be heavily resistant to reform efforts.”
Read the full report: The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling.
