Aussie losses on the up

The Guardianbrought us its latest analysis of the hugely profitable Australian betting market this week, as it reported that “Australians are losing more money to gambling each year than the federal government spends on aged care and almost as much as it spends on the national disability insurance scheme.”

A new report has found that despite an ongoing cost-of-living crisis Down Under, the amount Australian punters lose to gambling has continued to increase, and significantly.

“Expenditure on gambling has also risen faster than the cost of education, housing and inflation,” the report revealed, leading to what it describes as “a hidden, unspoken black hole in household budgets,” caused by gambling losses.

While the government has introduced steps to combat the increasing cost of living, the report adds, there has been “a complete policy vacuum on mitigating the cost-of-living impacts of gambling.”

The report demonstrates that Australians lose around A$31.5bn to gambling each year, and that amid the cost-of-living crisis, the relative amount spent on gambling has increased, rather than decreased as may have been expected.

It adds that lower-income households are especially vulnerable to the dangers of that reality, with many Australians having less money available than ever for unexpected expenses, emergencies or discretionary spending.

The report was commissioned by the Alliance for Gambling Reform and Wesley Mission, longstanding campaigners for change in Australia’s gambling policy to include tighter restrictions on advertising and other issues.

“Gambling reforms, such as banning gambling advertising, represent a non-inflationary, low-cost suite of initiatives that would bring profound relief to families,” said Alliance for Gambling Reform chief executive Martin Thomas.

Change is thought to be on the way in Australia, of course, but so far the pace has been little faster than glacial. 

Perhaps the newly released report will put some additional pressure on Australian politicians to deliver reform to the sector.

Would you like a drink with that?

Next, GlobeNewswireshared the results of a new study published in JAMA Psychiatrywhich found that “sports gambling frequency and alcohol-related problems are strongly associated over time”.

Funded by the International Centre for Responsible Gaming, the study analysed data from more than 4,300 US aduluts over two years, and is said to reinforce concerns about the possible health risks of concurrent gambling and drinking behaviours.

The research demonstrated that while alcohol-related problems slightly decreased over time among the study’s subjects, “fluctuations in sports gambling frequency were closely tied to changes in alcohol-related harms.”

This article suggested that the findings could mean those who engage in both drinking alcohol and gambling “may be at heightened risk of developing problematic drinking behaviours.”

The study’s lead author, Dr. Joshua B. Grubbs of the University of New Mexico, said it was “quite likely that these behaviours are interacting in such a way that may increase the risks associated with both.”

Given the recent proliferation of sports betting across the US, he further described understanding the health implications of both behaviours as “vital”.

The study is part of an ongoing effort to assess gambling behaviours in society over time.

As the sector continues to grow across North America and the rest of the world, research like this continues to be vital in helping develop our understanding of its potential negative impact on individuals.

Not in my back yard

Finally, The Nation Thailandreported this week that three protest groups had rallied outside the country’s Government House against the government’s plans to introduce legalised casino gambling.

Members of the three groups — the Network of Students and People for Thailand’s Reform, the Dharma Army, and the Centre of People for Monarchy Protection — initially gathered at Bangkok’s Chamai Maruchet Bridge before setting up a stage and south system in front of the city’s Prince Chumphon Monument.

Police responded by setting up obstructions to prevent the protesters entering the Government House compound.

A spokesperson for the groups, Pichit Chaimongkol, explained that the protesters wanted to voice their opposition to plans to introduce both land-based and online casino gambling to Thailand, which are currently underway in the country’s political system.

“Our network will oppose it and will not back down,” Chaimongkol said, adding that the rally would continue until the groups’ demands were met.

Thailand’s plans to introduce casinos are advancing rapidly, and have already caught the interest of major integrated resort operators across the world.

For some, however, the industry will never be accepted, and this story serves as a reminder of the controversy and opposition gambling can face when entering new frontiers.

As for the protestors’ plans, unless the government drops its proposals to introduce gambling, it seems they’re going nowhere. For now, at least.