SYDNEY, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) — Australian adults lose over 1,000 Australian dollars to gambling every year on average, said a report on Thursday.
According to the report, published by Melbourne-based independent think tank the Grattan Institute on Thursday, the average Australian adult loses 1,635 Australian dollars (1,099.5 U.S. dollars) to gambling every year, representing the highest average gambling loss in the world.
The report said the average gambling loss for Australian adults is double that of those in the U.S. and approximately triple the figure for New Zealanders.
To prevent losses and harm, the report calls for Australia to ban all gambling advertising and inducements, reduce the number of slot machines in every state and territory over time, and introduce loss limits on slot machines and online gambling.
“Australia has let the gambling industry run wild, and gamblers, their families, and the broader community are paying the price,” Aruna Sathanapally, chief executive of the Grattan Institute, said in a statement.
“Gambling products are designed to be addictive, and the consequences can be catastrophic: job loss, bankruptcy, relationship breakdown, family violence, even suicide.”
The report found that 93 percent of Australia’s slot machines are outside of casinos, that they are more common in the nation’s suburbs than ATMs, post boxes or public toilets, and that they are especially prevalent in the most disadvantaged communities.
People living in the poorest fifth of communities in New South Wales (NSW) — Australia’s most populous state — lose an average of 1,524 Australian dollars (1,024.8 U.S. dollars) per year on slot machines, compared to 922 Australian dollars (620 U.S. dollars) for people in the wealthiest fifth of communities.
A federal parliamentary inquiry led by members of the governing Labor Party in 2023 recommended a blanket ban on gambling advertising and inducements in Australia as well as the establishment of a national gambling regulator.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not yet delivered his official response to the inquiry, but local media has widely reported that the government is set to go ahead with a partial ban on gambling advertising on television in addition to a total ban on advertising on digital platforms. Enditem