ANU STUDY SHOWS DECLINE IN GAMBLING PARTICIPATION, RISE IN ONLINE BETTING
According to new research by ANU’s Centre for Gambling Research overall gambling participation in Australia has declined. A recent publication reveals a decline in gambling rates from 65.6% in 2019 (pre-COVID) to 60.3% in 2024. While the research maintains the decrease can be attributed to players leaving in-venue gaming, the general economic climate could also be having an ongoing effect on behaviour and spending.
The gambling trend identified in the research aligns with a longer-term downward trend already identified in pre-COVID years. While the sample size in 2024 of 4027 adults, was larger than the original 2019 data pool of 2054 adults, in both cases it still represents a very small number of participants. It was significant that participants have shifted from in venue gambling to online gambling with 33.4% reporting that they had gambled online in the last year, compared to 28.6% who only gambled in a venue or outlet.
The report stated that “While the participation rate dropped close to 50% of the adult population during Covid-19, this data suggests that the ‘new normal’ gambling participation rate has plateaued at around 60%.”
While the assumption is always younger players prefer online gambling options (including lotteries) the data showed that 20.5% of the online gamblers were the 45-55 year old group. The younger 25-34 age demographic only accounted for 18.7%. It was more common for online gamblers to be employed and part of a couple with children which may in itself explain the preference for online gambling. It was notable that online gamblers had higher employment rates and incomes, with 28.5% had a university degree and 47.2% held post-school qualifications.
Older demographic groups preferred in-venue gambling with 21.2% aged 65-74 years and adults over 45 making up 66.1% of in person gaming. Females are still the leading gaming group who prefer in venue gambling activities (53.8%), but also still made up 42.1% of online gamblers.
In Australia the lottery was the most popular gambling option (46.8%) followed by raffles (23.4%) and scratchies (15.7%). Despite its constant poor reputation in the media, EGM gaming was only undertaken by 12.9% of respondents, and only 4.7% of respondents participated in sports betting.
Dr Aino Suomi, the director of the gambling research centre, “Online gambling has exponentially increased and should now be considered one of the main gambling platforms. The unlimited access to online gambling has the potential to cause real harm if not properly addressed.”
You can access the research paper here >>> Gambling participation in Australia 2024: Trends over time, and profiles associated with online gambling | ANU Centre for Social Research & Methods
