New Australian government research has shown that gambling has become very common among the population, renewing concerns about gambling harm amid rising living cost pressures.
According to a report by the Australian Gambling Research Centre, almost three in four Australian adults (73 percent) gambled at least once in the past 12 months, with 38 percent engaged in gambling at least weekly.
Lotteries and scratchies were the top gambling product, with a participation rate of 64 percent, followed by racing at 38 percent, sports betting at 34 percent, and pokies at 33 percent.
On average, Australian adults spent $83 (US$55.2) on sports, $93 on racing, and $109 on other types of products (pokies, casino games, etc.) on a typical gambling day….