A national problem
Australians are the world’s most prolific gamblers, based on per capita spending.
In 2016, Australians lost more money per person — an average of US $990 — than any other developed country, according to research by consultancy H2 Gambling Capital. In comparison, runner-up Singapore lost $650 per person, and Ireland, which came third, $500.
One disadvantaged working-class Sydney suburb, Fairfield, gambled away more than AUS $8 billion from 2015-16 — or just under $40,000 per resident.
Total gambling expenditure in Australia increased by 7.7% from $21.114 billion in 2013-14 to $22.734 billion in 2014-15, according to the latest edition of the Australian Gambling Statistics, published last year. Meanwhile, per adult gambling expenditure increased from $1,171.09 to $1,241.86.
The most prevalent forms of gambling are lottery-type games (such as Powerball or Oz Lotto), with 30% reported use, but poker machines come second, with 8% of adults reporting they use pokies in a typical month, according to the 2017 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey.
Driving this national addiction are the country’s 196,000 electronic poker machines. With the exception of Western Australia, pokies are allowed not just in casinos but in pubs and social clubs, where they are plentiful…
Source: Australia has a serious gambling problem – CNN
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