Reports
Author(s): Suomi, Aino ; Hahn, Markus H. ; Biddle, Nicholas
Publisher: POLIS: The Centre for Social Policy Research
Year Published: 2025
Date Added: November 28, 2025
Resource Type: Research report
This report provides estimates of gambling participation, risky gambling, and the impact of gambling on affected others in Australia. The data are from the ANUpoll survey, including waves from 2019 to 2025. The results suggest that gambling harm has intensified, however, overall participation has declined. The authors call for public health strategies to mitigate harm that are evidence-based, such as more restrictive regulation of online gambling products.Key findings include:Gambling participation continued to decrease slightly to 58.8% in 2025 (from 60.3% in 2024)Risky gambling increased from 13.7% in 2024 to 19.4% in 2025, almost doubling since 2020-2021.More than half (56.1%) of people who gambled did so mainly online in the past year.The most commonly used online gambling products were sports and race betting, while online casino games became increasingly popular despite being illegal.Harm from one's own or another person’s gambling were associated with: younger age, unemployment, parents, lower household incomes, high psychological distress, loneliness, and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
This report provides estimates of gambling participation, risky gambling, and the impact of gambling on affected others in Australia. The data are from the ANUpoll survey, including waves from 2019 to 2025. The results suggest that gambling harm has intensified, however, overall participation has declined. The authors call for public health strategies to mitigate harm that are evidence-based, such as more restrictive regulation of online gambling products.
Key findings include:
