A new survey by Roy Morgan has flagged a serious problem that adult Australians face: gambling.
As per the latest data, at least 3.32 million people in Australia experience some level of gambling-related harm, with the government still struggling to properly address the issues that remain in the sector – from offshore gambling to fine-tuning consumer protections to debating whether the current regulatory framework actually works.
New Data Reveals True Impact on Gambling on Australians
Gambling harm is defined as any adverse consequence of engaging in gambling which could impact financial, emotional, psychological and social aspects of a sufferer’s life.
The Roy Morgan data also distinguishes between two different types of gambling-related harm that could occur, with one as a direct impact of a person’s own gambling and the other as the result of close relationships with people who engage in excessive gambling.
Similarly, the same person can be part of both groups at the same time. According to this classification, about 2,857,000 people in the country are experiencing gambling-related harm as a consequence of their direct actions, while another 1,177,000 people are experiencing harm as a consequence of someone else’s actions.
Clearly, Australians are more likely to experience gambling harm because of their own actions, but the number of people affected by others is still considerable.
This brings the total to 3.32 million people. Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, has commented on the latest numbers, urging action on the part of the government at what appears to be a crucial point.
Australians Suffer from Their Own Gambling Habits – That of Others
“The latest Roy Morgan Gambling Harm Index (GHI) shows an estimated 2.85 million Australians (13% of the population) are experiencing some level of harm from their own gambling behaviours. In addition, when gambling harm from someone else’s gambling is included this increases to over 3.3 million Australians (15.1% of the population).”
The survey dug into many variables surrounding gambling behavior. For example, the data indicated that 4.5% of Australians reported that they have spent less time with people they cared about because of their gambling habits.
8% of respondents said that they felt like failures, 5% were distressed, 9% reported regrets that made them feel sorry about their gambling habits, and more.