Developing low-risk gambling limits in Australia

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Author(s): Dowling, Nicki A. ; Youssef, George J. ; Greenwood, C. J. ; Merkouris, Stephanie ; Suomi, Aino ; Room, Robin

Journal: Journal of Clinical Medicine

Year Published: 2021

Date Added: April 15, 2021

In this study, the researchers developed a set of low-risk gambling limits in Australia. They also explored the relative risk and absolute risk associated with exceeding the limits. The limits were: gambling frequency of 20–30 times per year; gambling spending of AUD $380–$615 per year (USD $240–$388 per year); gambling spending of 0.83–1.68% of gross personal income; and two types of gambling activities per year. Except for the number of gambling activities limit, exceeding the limits predicted later harm. In relative risk, people who gambled beyond the limits were 3–20 times more likely to experience harm. In absolute risk, they would have a 5–17% risk of experiencing harm. Gambling within the limits could also lead to some degree of harm.

Citation: Dowling, N. A., Youssef, G. J., Greenwood, C., Merkouris, S. S., Suomi, A., & Room, R. (2021). The development of empirically derived Australian low-risk gambling limits. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10, 167. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10020167

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10020167

Keywords: gambling ; gambling harm ; harms ; limit setting ; low-risk gambling ; low-risk gambling guidelines ; responsible gambling ; risk

Topics: Gambling Related Harms ; Gambling Resources ; Information for Operators

Conceptual Framework Factors: Environment - Social and Economic Impacts ; Environment - Responsible Gambling ; Resources - Harm Reduction, Prevention, and Protection ; Environment - Low-Risk Limits ; Gambling Environment ; Environment - Public Policy ; Gambling Resources

Study Design: Secondary Data Analysis

Geographic Coverage: Australia

Study Population: Australian adults including people who gambled and those who did not gamble. Data came from the SEIS (N = 4303 and N = 5000 in the second and third surveys), the ACT survey in 2014 (N = 2294), and the TLGS (N = 2027 in wave 1, N = 1039 in wave 2, and N = 820 in wave 3).

Sampling Procedure: The researchers used data from the following sources: 1) the second and third Social and Economic Impact Study (SEIS) of Gambling in Tasmania; 2) the 2014 Survey on Gambling, Health, and Wellbeing in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT); and 3) the Tasmanian Longitudinal Gambling Study (TLGS).

Study Funding:

This study was funded by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. The datasets employed in the study were funded by the Tasmanian Government Department of Treasury and Finance and the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.