Australians Are The Worst Gamblers In The World

….topping the list of the highest rates of gambling losses per capita!

Australians spent $25.8 billion gambling on racing in 2017-18, the vast majority of which is directed at thoroughbred racing. Actual sports betting was less than half that at $11.6 billion. More here from savings.com.au

However, even though we do not celebrate any increase in gambling, it was reassuring to note that growth in sports betting (where the participants are actually willing) has recently surpassed growth in animal racing betting whose growth almost halved.

From the article:
“Betting on racing grew by just under 13% from 2015-16 to 2016-17, while sports betting grew by 4%. In 2017-18 there was a far more prominent growth in sports betting, with this category increasing by 14.9% year-on-year while racing grew by 8.1%.”

To try to find other reassuring news in this sad state of affairs, a 2018 Roy Morgan poll found that the age bracket mostly betting on racing and sports was 50-64. The under 25’s bracket was betting the least. More here.

This is one of the reasons we see the racing industry so desperately targeting the younger generations who are more frequently turning their backs on supporting the use of animals for entertainment.

The social cost of all forms of gambling in Victoria alone for year 2014-15 was found to be $7 billion.

From the article:
“Gambling harm encompasses everything from the loss of homes and relationships to the loss of lives through deaths by suicide associated with gambling harm,” Rev Costello said in December 2019 when the report was released.

“There are direct connections in some instances between gambling harm and family violence and mental ill-health.

“When you consider for every person directly experiencing gambling harm it is estimated at least six more people connected to those people experience some impact, we are talking about an issue that affects an extraordinary number of Australians.”

It is high time our state governments stopped spouting all the apparent glorious outcomes from racing and started addressing the true impacts on both humans and other animals.