A new report has revealed that Australia has topped the global list for gambling losses, with a staggering average annual loss of $1,635 per person.

The new report, named “A Better Bet: How Australia Should Prevent Gambling Harm,” by the think tank Grattan Institute, has slammed the government for its “lax approach,” which has allowed the industry to “run wild.”

The report also highlighted that the government’s previous efforts to impose a ban were thwarted by powerful vested interests, which led to Australians losing a staggering $24 billion to gambling in 2020-21.

Data from 2022 showed that around 8% of Australians blew large sums of money in gambling in just once-in-a-month engagement, with online betting losses going from $3.6 billion in 2008-09 to $5.8 billion in 2020-21.

Kate Griffiths, co-author of “A Better Bet” and Grattan’s deputy program director, said the report primarily focused on poker machines and online betting, which were responsible for the majority of gambling losses.

“It is everywhere. It’s on our screens, in terms of advertising, the pokies in our pubs and clubs,” Griffiths told ABC News, highlighting the need for urgent action to address its harmful impacts. “It’s available at any time, at our fingertips in terms of betting online. It is causing harm. It causes harm not just to the gambler themselves, but to families, communities, and to the broader Australian society because we all pay those costs.”

The think tank urged the government to take action to address the gambling epidemic by imposing an immediate ban on gambling ads. The research body also underscored that implementing caps on betting sizes can help mitigate Australia’s gambling addiction’s harmful effects, ABC.net.au reported.

Grattan’s report also warned against a partial ban on gambling advertising and added that a national pre-commitment system, where gamblers set their limits, could help reduce harm.