More than 70% of people surveyed who are regular online bettors reported experiencing harm, but only half of this group use any kind of consumer protection measure - like reading activity statements or setting spend limits - to manage their gambling, according to a new report from the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC) at the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Of this group, more than 30% reported gambling to "get ahead financially" indicating they might overestimate their chances of winning. Of those classified at high risk of harm, 40% are reportedly likely to be experiencing serious mental illness.
The 18-34-year-old age group had the largest proportion of moderate or high-risk gamblers, compared to older age groups. Those younger bettors in the high-risk category have a median weekly spend of $300 across all forms of gambling, compared to $60 a week for all 18-24-year-old bettors.
2,603 people who bet online at least monthly on sports or races were surveyed as part of the National Gambling Trends Study (NGTS), now in its second year. 'Harms', as assessed via the Problem Gambling Severity Index(link is external) (PGSI), include feeling guilty and stressed about gambling, borrowing money or selling things to fund gambling, or going back another day to try to win back lost money, among other issues.
Research Fellow at the AGRC, Dr Gabriel Tillman, said it's particularly concerning that more than half (51%) the bettors in the study experiencing harms were not using any consumer protection measures - such as reading activity statements, setting spend limits or temporarily excluding themselves from betting platforms.
'Many regular bettors we surveyed who were experiencing harms did not consider themselves 'problem gamblers' and so felt no need to take measures to reduce their gambling,' Dr Tillman said.
'This indicates a disconnect between the intention of consumer protection measures, and how they are perceived. While designed to be preventative - something all online bettors should consider using, regardless of their level of gambling - many of those we surveyed saw them as reactionary. In other words, only useful for people already experiencing significant harms,' Dr Tillman said.
Dr Tillman said this suggests a need for evidence-based public education programs - particularly aimed at young men - on how to make safer choices online, including using consumer protection measures from the outset to avoid adverse outcomes.
'It also demonstrates the need for betting platforms to monitor regular bettors and directly intervene when required - because many are not recognising the seriousness of their own gambling,' Dr Tillman said.
Australia's measures to protect online bettors are currently being reviewed, with the AGRC evaluating the National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF) for online wagering, on behalf of the Department of Social Services.
The findings from this latest study are potentially relevant to the evaluation, including data on the level of engagement with, and attitudes towards, consumer protection measures. Of the range of consumer protection measures available, 20% of the regular online bettors experiencing harms surveyed indicated they access activity statements, followed by 19% setting a deposit limit, 16% setting a bet limit, and 15% unsubscribing from direct marketing. Less than 10% indicated they either temporarily or permanently self-excluded from online betting.
In the open-ended question component of the survey, regular online bettors were largely pessimistic about general trends in gambling. Though many were positive about harm reduction tools such as activity statements, deposit limits and BetStop, others saw these as ineffective. In a continuing trend from 2022's NGTS, online bettors in this study broadly supported further gambling advertising restrictions, with many calling for a full ban.
Two reports from the National Gambling Trends Study are available on AIFS' website, with a third (on regular pokies gamblers) due for release in coming weeks:
- Regular online bettors in Australia, 2023
- Consumer perspectives on online betting: Trends in harm minimisation, advertising and normalisation, 2023
AIFS conducts original research to increase understanding of Australian families and the issues that affect them, see aifs.gov.au.
