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ANU study finds 17% of Australian adults report an indicator of gambling harm
The survey also found that online play increased among casino table game and poker machine players, despite those products being illegal to offer online in Australia.
About 17% of Australian adults reported at least one indicator of gambling-related harm, according to a new Australian National University study reported by GamblingNews.com.
The report, Gambling in Australia 2026, draws on seven waves of ANUPoll data collected between 2019 and 2026. Its latest survey, conducted in March 2026, included 3,482 adults, with results weighted to Australian population benchmarks.
Overall gambling participation has stayed at around 60% since 2023. The study found that 35% of adults gambled online at least half the time.
Online play was particularly common among sports and race bettors: 90% of sports bettors and 71% of race bettors placed bets online.
The proportion of casino table game players gambling online rose from 5% in 2024 to 22% in 2026. Among poker machine players, the share increased from 7% to 13% over the same period. Online casino games and poker machines are illegal to offer in Australia.
Associate Professor Aino Suomi said fewer Australians gamble than a decade ago, but gambling-related problems have not fallen by a corresponding amount. She called for greater attention to how people gamble and who is most affected.
Couples with children reported the highest rates of online gambling. The study also found that 5% of Australian adults had experienced negative effects from someone else's gambling in the past year.