By: Bec Harris
Reverend Tim Costello, Chief Advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, reveals the staggering scale of gambling harm in Australia. From pokies to sports betting, Australians are losing billions, and the consequences are devastating.
The Scale of Gambling Losses
Australia loses $32 billion each year to gambling, the highest per capita in the world. Tim explained: “The nation that comes second in gambling losses is 30% less than us. The world looks at us and asks, how did we allow this?”
Pokies account for $17 billion, sports betting $6 billion, with horse racing and greyhounds adding more. Even more shocking: “We have 20% of all the world’s pokies, but 75% are in pubs and clubs. Everywhere else, pokies are only in casinos.”
Unlike casinos, pokies are everywhere: in pubs, clubs, and even shopping areas. Australians often gamble unintentionally, with machines designed for predatory addiction.
The Impact on Families and Young People
The reach of gambling goes beyond adults. Tim highlighted a growing problem among youth: “Influencers are paid by the pokies industry to show how fun it is to feed cash into machines.”
Combined with 900 gambling ads a day on free-to-air TV, many children are absorbing adult gambling behaviours. “Eighty per cent of ten-year-olds now know the odds on AFL and NRL games,” Tim said. “The normalisation is devastating.”
What Can Be Done?
Advocacy is key. Tim outlined practical steps:
- Pokies: Lobby state politicians. Each state has jurisdiction.
- Sports betting: Contact federal representatives, especially the Communications Minister.
“Get boots on the ground. Send letters. Touch base with your politicians,” Tim urged. Western Australia sets a strong example, with no pokies in pubs or clubs and much lower gambling losses.
A Call for National Reform
Despite bipartisan support for a national gambling regulator, recommendations remain ignored. “We need to treat gambling as a health issue, not a sports issue,” Tim said. “Where there’s gambling in a family, there’s four times more domestic violence.”
Public support is overwhelming: 80% of Australians want gambling ads banned, yet action is lagging. “Politicians need to listen. The public has spoken,” Tim added.
Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.
Feature image: Canva
