Australian gambling spend skyrockets during Covid-19

Australian consumers gambled more frequently and spent more money during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report. The Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGSC) unveiled its findings from research undertaken between May and July, as Australians were subject to government restrictions to stem the flow of the outbreak. The report found a mass migration to online gambling among consumers, rising from 62% before the pandemic to 78% during, as land-based venues were forced to close across the country.

The frequency with which consumers gambled also grew exponentially, with those gambling four times or more a week jumping from 23% to 32%. The proportion of participants who gambled at least once a week also increased from 79% to 83%. However, those gambling with more conservative patterns, such as once a month, fell from 9% before Covid-19 to 7% during Covid-19. Gambling spend skyrocketed, especially among young males aged 18-34. Prior to the pandemic, this demographic gambled an average of A$687 (£378) a month, which leapt to A$1,075 during the peak of the outbreak. Across all age brackets for men, average spend grew from A$594 per month to A$770 per month. Conversely, gambling spend for women actually decreased, falling from A$250 to A$100. The report also noted that nearly a third of survey participants had signed up for a new online betting account during the research period. In addition to its findings, the AGSC assessed participants against the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), and found that 79% of people were at risk of experiencing gambling-related harm, with 30% of those already experiencing problem gambling. Young people were found to be at greater risk than older demographics, with the report collating written, anonymous responses regarding consumers’ struggles with gambling. One 23-year-old male said: “Isolation and accessibility is very dangerous. Whenever I am bored my finger automatically opens the app now. I had gambling under control, I knew my limits, but now I can’t stop.” Another 27-year-old male said: “Covid has made me 10 times worse and I now fear for my health because while everything has stopped, gambling is still open for everyone and with all this time on my hands and no real income it has become a way to try to make more money.” In the report’s conclusion, it detailed possible measures that could be implemented to combat gambling-related harm, including the creation of a self-exclusion register, reviewing the availability of marketing and the development of a nationwide strategy to tackle the issue. Leading global online operators including GVC and Flutter flagged notably strong revenue performance from Australia during the first half of the year.