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Full citation
Suomi, A., Hahn, M., & Biddle, N. (2025). Gambling participation in Australia 2025. Trends over time, and profiles associated with online gambling and gambling harm. POLIS: The Centre for Social Policy Research. Australian National University. https://polis.cass.anu.edu.au/files/docs/2025/10/Gambling-in-Australia-2025-for-publication-v2.pdf
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Region & Target Population
- ‍Region: Australia
- ‍Target Population: Australian adults aged 18+, surveyed nationally via multiple ANU poll waves (2019–2025).
Study Design
Repeated cross-sectional national survey, using six waves of ANU poll (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025).
Sample Characteristics
- ‍Sample for January 2025 wave: N = 3,387 adults‍
- Each wave uses probability-based sampling through the ANU COVID-19 Impact Monitoring Program and ANU poll infrastructure.
Longitudinal Timeline & Waves
Gambling indicators measured across six waves: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Measures Used
- PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index)
- Participation in nine gambling activities (lottery, scratch, raffle, EGMs, race betting, sports betting, casino table games, etc.).
- Online vs venue gambling ( approx. 50% online participation classified as online).
- Affected Other Status: one-item measure asking whether the person was harmed by someone else’s gambling.
- Psychological distress: K6 scale for severe distress.
- Demographics: gender, age, education, employment, income, CALD status.
Research Question
What are the current national trends in gambling participation, risky gambling, and associated demographic and psychosocial factors in Australia between 2019 and 2025?
Key Findings
- Gambling participation is dropping, now at 58.8% of adults in 2025.
- Risky gambling is rising fast, reaching 19.4% in 2025 (almost double since 2021).
- Fewer people gamble now, but those who do are gambling in riskier ways.
- Online gambling has exploded — over 56% of gamblers now gamble mainly online.
- Sports betting is almost entirely online, with 88% of bettors using online platforms.
- Online gambling increased even for illegal activities (online pokies and casino games).
- Most popular activities in 2025:
- Lottery
- Scratch tickets
- Raffle tickets
- Electronic gaming machines (pokies)
- Race betting
- Men gamble more than women and are more likely to gamble online or at risky levels.
- Younger adults (18–34) are more likely to be harmed by someone else’s gambling.
- Higher psychological distress and loneliness are linked to both risky gambling and being harmed by others’ gambling.
- CALD communities (culturally and linguistically diverse) show higher rates of gambling harm and “affected other” experiences.
Study Conclusion
- According to the 2025 report, Australia is experiencing declining overall gambling participation but rapidly increasing risky gambling, creating a paradox where fewer people gamble, yet a growing minority experience severe harm. The report highlights a major structural shift toward online gambling, now the dominant mode for more than half of gamblers. Sports and race betting have become heavily digital, and even illegal online casino-style gambling is rising, indicating substantial regulatory challenges.
- Risk is increasingly concentrated among specific demographic groups—particularly males, younger adults (18–34), those with psychological distress, and CALD populations. The pronounced rise in affected others underscores gambling’s wider social harm.
- The longitudinal pattern from 2019 to 2025 reveals that while traditional forms of gambling decline, gambling intensity and harm continue to escalate. These findings show that Australia’s gambling environment is undergoing a significant transformation toward online participation, higher-risk products, and deeper psychosocial vulnerabilities. Policy implications include the need for stronger online regulation, harm-reduction strategies targeting high-risk groups, and improved support services for both gamblers and affected others.
