In October 2021, fewer Australians reported gambling for money than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2019. Of the Australians who reported gambling for money, most did not think that they had a problem with the way they gambled or that it had caused any health or financial problems.
Just over half (53 per cent) of Australians reported gambling for money in the previous 12 months to October 2021.
Compared to pre-pandemic rates, there was a 12 per cent decline in the number of Australians who reported gambling for money in October 2021 compared to April 2019 with rates declining from 66 per cent to 53 per cent.
Almost all Australians (93 per cent) who reported gambling in the previous 12 months to October 2021 reported they had never felt like they might have a problem with their gambling.
6 per cent of Australians who reported gambling in the previous 12 months to October 2021 felt like their gambling had caused health problems, including stress or anxiety at least some of the time.
In April 2019, 66 per cent of Australians reported gambling for money, compared with 53 per cent in May 2020 and October 2021.
Between 2019 and 2021, the rate of female participation in gambling declined by 14 per cent. In April 2019, the participation rate for both males and females was 66 per cent; in May 2020, 50 per cent of females reported gambling compared to 56 per cent of males. In October 2021, female participation rose slightly but was still below pre-pandemic rates (52 per cent for females and 55 per cent for males).
At all three time points, people aged 18-29 years reported the lowest rates of gambling, with a third of young people gambling in the 12 months prior to October 2021 compared to 41 per cent in 2019 and 35 per cent in 2020. People aged 50-64 years had the highest rate of gambling across all three time points, 76 per cent in 2019, 63 per cent in 2020 and 68 per cent in 2021.
Of the Australians who reported gambling in the previous 12 months to October 2021, most people did not see themselves as having a problem with gambling.
91 per cent of gamblers reported that they had never felt like they might have a problem with gambling, 6 per cent believed that their gambling had caused health problems sometimes, most of the time or almost always, while 5 per cent stated that their gambling had caused them or their household financial problems. 6 per cent of gamblers reported that they had been criticised for their betting or have been told that they have a gambling problem, and 15 per cent stated that they feel guilty about the way they gamble or what happens when they gamble.
These results are similar to pre-pandemic levels. A slightly higher per cent (9 per cent in 2019 vs 7 per cent in 2021) reported that they felt they had a problem with gambling in April 2019. In 2021 a slightly higher per cent of gamblers reported their gambling had caused financial problems for them or their household (5 per cent in 2019 vs 4 per cent in 2021 ) and that people criticised their betting or told them that they had a gambling problem (7 per cent in 2019 vs 4 per cent in 2019).