A new landmark study has revealed that approximately 200,000 Australian children under 15 years of age have been affected by their parents’ risky gambling behaviour. The figure includes almost 60,000 children who are exposed to the most severe form of gambling addiction.
The survey also suggests that almost 500,000 Australian children are currently exposed to their parents’ gambling at low-risk levels. The study found that 9 out of 10 adults do not take part in any risky gambling.
The aforementioned study has been carried out by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU). They found that almost 4% of children in Australia live with parents who are considered either problem gamblers or gamblers exposed at moderate risk of gambling-related harm.
The director of the Centre for Gambling Research at the ANU, Aino Suomi, who is also the lead author of the study, described the figure as a significant one because previous research showed underage individuals faced significant harm due to their exposure to parental gambling at both moderate-risk and gambling addiction levels. She shared that researchers had not been aware of the actual extent of the harm caused to such children, which is why they had to pay more attention to families that had been exposing them to problem gambling because of the parents’ compulsive behaviour.
The Rates of Children Exposure to Parental Risky Gambling Higher Than Expected
As explained by Dr Suomi, the response of the latest landmark study of the Australian National University required both educating the wider public about the negative effects of gambling on the lives of both children and adults, and targeted intervention to children who have been exposed to gambling addiction or have already been suffering gambling-related harm.
According to the study’s findings, 1.1% of Australian children under the age of 15 were exposed to their parents’ gambling addiction, while 2.8% were exposed to their parents’ moderate-risk gambling. The lead author of the study noted that these rates were higher than expected, considering the fact that only 0.7% of Australian adults are considered gambling addicts and 2% are involved in gambling at moderate risk. The rates were even lower for adults whose children were somehow dependent on gambling.
Dr Suomi said that the surprising lack of compatibility between the latest and previous studies’ results is caused by the fact that children have two parents and can be exposed to gambling addiction and gambling-related harm through either one of their parents.
In its latest analysis, the Australian National University used figures from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey that took place in 2018. This was nationwide representative research with a sample size of 18,406 people, which also included a total of 4,831 households with children under the age of 15.
As explained by Dr Suomi, previous research suggested that underage individuals whose parents take part in moderate-risk gambling suffer the same types of harm as children whose parents are gambling addicts. The difference measured is in the severity of the harm, which includes psychological anxiety, damaged relationships, financial problems, child neglect, as well as various forms of family violence, including child abuse.
Gambling Addiction Rates in Australia Have Doubled in the Past Decade, 2021 GRA Report Says
Currently, problem gambling in Australia is considered an addiction or a mental health problem.
According to a study published by Gambling Research Australia (GRA) in 2021, gambling addiction rates have doubled over the past decade, although fewer people are involved in gambling activities. This basically means that the country’s gambling sector is generating more money from a smaller group of individuals.
Experts believe that this trend is also linked to the increasing popularity of online gambling among Australians, as people who gamble online have been found twice as likely to be exposed to the risk of developing gambling addiction as other gamblers.
As Casino Guardian reported, previous research has found some evidence that online gambling has grown into a problem during the coronavirus pandemic, because of lengthy periods of social isolation and lockdowns that have forced people to turn to alternative ways of gambling because they were no longer able to do that in person. Dr Suomi revealed that the 2022 HILDA Survey is expected to provide more details about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on gambling in Australia.
- Author
Daniel Williams
