Gambling Aussies spend $3,000 a year
A recent study has found that an average gambler in Australia spends about $3,100 every year, hoping for a serious windfall. Fourteen percent of 1,000 Aussies surveyed engage in gambling at the casino. John Schnobrich/Unsplash

A recent study has found that an average gambler in Australia spends about $3,100 every year, hoping for a serious windfall. Fourteen percent of 1,000 Aussies surveyed engage in gambling at the casino. Fifty-two percent are into buying lottery tickets, the most popular gambling choice.

Online betting agencies are believed to be the reason why 60 percent of Australians betting weekly are active in gambling. Fox Symes commissioned the Galaxy Research of 1,000 Australians. It said that the biggest cause for concern was the participation of young Australians in gambling activities. News.com.au also reports that men are more likely to gamble than women.

Next to buying lottery tickets, other popular gambling activities are pokies (20 percent), horse racing (19 percent) and online betting on sporting matches (18 percent). Gambling at the casino is at the bottom of the participants’ choice.

Modern-day bettors who dig resources like Royal Vegas Casino review materials typically get some sort of welcome bonus. They enjoy special promotions on top of a massive selection of games. Special treats thrill bettors, as young men are drawn to trying their luck.

Early this month, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the ban on gambling advertisements before 8:30 p.m. during live sporting events. Gambling ads are also prohibited five minutes before and after the play starts. The ban, which does not apply to racing, is lifted after 8:30 p.m.

"Parents around Australia will be delighted when they know that during football matches, and cricket matches, live sporting events before 8:30 p.m., there will be no more gambling ads," PM Turnbull said.

Senator Nick Xenophon, who has long called for restrictions to gambling advertising, said the ban was a "good, big first step." However, he said it was not strong enough. “We need to ban all gambling ads during sports broadcasts, but at least we’ve made some progress,” he told AAP.

That more young Australians are getting involved in online gaming does not surprise behaviour analysts. Some games played on social media channels are believed to be influencing the young ones to be more active in gambling.

“Many popular social games replicate gambling activities and gambling products have been introduced based on popular online games,” Sally Gainsbury from the University of Sydney’s Gambling Treatment Clinic is quoted as saying in a report by The Australian.