Online Gambling Growing Rapidly in Australia
Published January 27, 2012
More and more Aussies are betting on the internet instead of at land-based venues.
As Australian politicians continue to debate regulation of both land-based and online gambling, researchers have found that Aussies are choosing more and more to conduct their bets via the internet.
Online Growing
More than half of Australian online gamblers started playing online in the past six year, a survey of 6,500 online gamblers conducted by Southern Cross University’s Centre for Gambling Education and Research in NSW found.
This means Australians are taking up online betting and gaming faster than any other form of gambling, the study found. It concluded with the estimate that Aussies now spend around $600 million a year on online gambling – or roughly $26 per person, per annum.
Responsible Gambling
In addition to providing some valuable statistics on Australian online gambling, the study also found that problem gamblers – although a small minority – needed some form of assistance in the form of responsible gambling.
The study’s lead researcher called for the government to look into more regulation for the online gambling industry, saying it wouldn’t be difficult to introduce similar measure to those used for land-based pokies. These include sending pop-up messages which tell people how long they have been playing for and how much they have spent.
