The gambling environment in Australia seems to be changing. Although the number of people who gamble is smaller, there are local punters who bet more on sports.
A Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey held in 2021 showed that fewer people are spending their money on gambling services, with a decline of approximately 300,000 reported gamblers since the last HILDA survey was held. However, the same research showed an increase in the number of Australians who bet on horse and dog races and other sports.
According to experts, this trend has possibly been facilitated by the arrival of online gambling sites such as Ladbrokes, PointsBet, and Sportsbet, which make it easier for customers to place bets anywhere, anytime.
On the other hand, gambling advertising and normalisation of gambling have also increased rapidly. The results of a survey held by the Nielsen Institute showed that companies across the country spent an overall amount of AU$287.2 million on advertising last year – a figure representing an AU$15.9-million increase in comparison to 2020. According to the same survey, the adverts in the state of Victoria alone rose by 253% in the five-year period from 2016 to 2021.
And the problem is these advertising campaigns are doing their job. In February, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) released a report revealing that the number of local people who bet on sports rose from 3% to 5% in just a couple of years from 2019 to 2021.
Age of First-Time Punters Constantly Dropping Because of Massive Popularisation of Sports Betting Services
There has been another significant change in the gambling landscape in Australia – young people are increasingly being attracted to sports betting, with young men between 18 and 24 years forming the largest age group for punters. Even worse, a survey has shown that about 70% of young men who took part in the research were at risk of experiencing gambling harm or could already be categorised as problem gamblers.
Similarly, the number of young female gamblers who bet on sports events is also increasing in Australia.
The age when punters make their first bet is also dropping. According to a 2019 Government Report, 23% of sports bettors in Australia place their first wager before they turn 18.
According to Samantha Thomas, a public health professor at Deakin University, the common presence of gambling brands on various media channels and the normalisation of gambling among children at a very young age is one of the main reasons why the age of Australian first-time punters constantly drops. The visual associations that different gambling brands are creating through TV, radio, and social media channels or on sporting grounds also seem to be making sports betting services more recognisable.
Professor Thomas shared that the increase in the number of recognizable celebrities used by operators in their sports betting adverts also wins young people’s trust in the credibility of gambling and sports betting products. According to her, this form of sports betting advertising is able to create a perception that gambling is not risky for young Australians. She further shared that marketing started playing quite a significant role in the attitude of Australian children toward gambling and sports betting, as well as toward their intentions to spend money on gambling at an older age.
The constant promotion of sports betting and the increase in popularity of this form of gambling has triggered calls for stricter measures to be unveiled by competent authorities to limit advertising and raise people’s awareness of the potential gambling-related harm. As Casino Guardian reported, earlier in November, the country’s Federal Government started unveiling new requirements for online gambling operators to promote more responsible gambling messages.
- Author
Daniel Williams
