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https://theconversation.com/a-billion-dollar-empire-of-harm-how-gambling-took-over-australia-272343>
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Review: Hooked: Inside the Murky World of Australia’s Gambling Industry –
Quentin Beresford (NewSouth)
I started my research into gambling and its adverse effects in 2014. At the
time, Australia’s annual gambling losses were A$21 billion. Today, they are
$31.5 billion.
A decade ago, per-capita annual gambling expenditure was around $1,200 per
adult. The latest data has the annual per-capita expenditure jumping to $1,527.
In New South Wales and the Northern Territory, it’s $2,007 and $1,871
respectively.
There has been a threefold increase in expenditure on gambling advertising,
from a reported $89.7 million in 2011 to a peak of $300 million in 2022, before
falling to almost $188 million in 2024.
The social and economic cost of gambling in Victoria alone is said to be a
staggering $14.1 billion annually, more than double the 2014 estimate. These
costs include, but are not limited to, adverse impacts on family finances,
mental health, relationships, productivity and suicide. They are largely driven
by poker machines and the rise of online gambling.
In a relatively short time – less than 50 years – commercial gambling has
become deeply entrenched in Australia, establishing a shameful legacy of social
and financial harm across our communities.
How did we arrive at this juncture, when the social and financial effects were
not only foreseeable but, some might argue, entirely avoidable?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
