ANU: One in Six Australians at Gambling Risk

GamblingNews reported that a new Australian National University (ANU) study, Gambling in Australia 2026, finds around one in six Australian adults exhibiting risky levels of gambling. The study focuses on Australia and draws on seven waves of ANUPoll data from 2019 to 2026, with the latest wave in March 2026 surveying 3,482 adults and weighting results to national population benchmarks.

What happened

The ANU analysis indicates that overall gambling participation has been broadly stable at around 60% since 2023. Yet risk indicators remain elevated: approximately 17% of Australian adults reported at least one sign of gambling-related harm.

The data point to a decisive shift online. Thirty-five percent of adults now gamble online at least half of the time. Channel concentration is starkest in sports and racing: 90% of sports bettors and 71% of race bettors place their bets online. Between 2024 and 2026, the share of people playing casino table games online rose from 5% to 22%, and online poker machine play increased from 7% to 13%—despite these products being illegal to offer in Australia.

The study aligns with findings earlier this year that more than 3.3 million Australians—about 12.5% of the population—experience some form of gambling-related harm. Associate Professor Aino Suomi observed that while fewer Australians are gambling than a decade ago, gambling-related problems have not fallen accordingly. The report also raises questions about the reach of consumer protections, given the growing use of online products that cannot legally be provided in the country.

Households and families feature prominently in the results. Couples with children reported the highest rates of online gambling. In addition, 5% of Australian adults said they had experienced negative effects in the past year due to someone else’s gambling. The growing ease of gambling at home, at any time, was flagged as a concern for families and the potential exposure of children.

These pressures have fed into Australia’s policy debate. Last month, more than 30 politicians, community groups and gambling reform advocates backed Northern Territory MLA Justine Davis’s proposed Gambling Reform Bill, aimed at strengthening protections against gambling harm.

For readers interested in how online formats are shaping betting choices, see our overview of common markets and bet types in sports betting. If you play online, verifying permissions remains essential; our licence check guide explains how to confirm whether a site is authorised to operate in your jurisdiction.

Why it matters

For the industry, the ANU findings underscore how stable participation can coexist with persistent harm indicators when channel mix shifts rapidly toward online. The growth in online play on products that are illegal to offer in Australia may signal regulatory and enforcement gaps, and it could influence how operators, payment firms and platforms think about compliance and consumer protection.

For UK readers, the patterns may be instructive rather than predictive. Similar digital shifts could shape how risk concentrates across particular products or customer segments. The prominence of sports and racing online suggests that product design, accessibility and time-of-day availability may all affect risk. It also illustrates why tools such as deposit limits and time reminders can matter, and why players may want to check site permissions through resources like our licence check guide. As always, any comparisons between markets should be cautious; regulatory frameworks and product availability differ.

What to watch

1. Policy direction in Australia: The level of support for proposals like the Gambling Reform Bill from Northern Territory MLA Justine Davis may indicate how Australian lawmakers intend to address online access and consumer protections.
2. Enforcement and compliance: How effectively authorities can limit access to online casino-style products and poker machines that are illegal to offer in Australia could shape harm trends.
3. Channel mix and risk: Whether the 35% of adults gambling online at least half the time continues to grow, and how that intersects with the 17% reporting harm indicators, will be a key signal for intervention design.
4. Family impact: With couples with children reporting the highest online gambling rates and 5% of adults harmed by someone else’s gambling, any change in household exposure will matter for prevention strategies.

If you use staking systems or multiple selections, planning your stakes before you bet may help manage exposure—our bankroll manager and sports betting primers can assist with structuring a plan that fits your budget. For players exploring table games, understanding house edge and variance can help set expectations; see our roulette guide for the fundamentals.

Source

This article is based on the report "ANU Study Finds One in Six Australians Show Risky Levels of Gambling" published by GamblingNews on 13 November 2026.

Staying in control

• Set a clear budget you can afford to lose and stick to it. Treat it as the cost of entertainment, not a way to make money.
• Use product tools: deposit limits, loss limits, time reminders and self-exclusion when needed. Consider session timers and cooling-off periods.
• Keep records of stakes and outcomes so you can spot patterns early. Avoid chasing losses and take regular breaks.
• Separate gambling funds from bills and savings. Do not borrow to gamble.
• Only use licensed sites and understand site permissions before you play. Our [responsible gambling guide](/responsible-gambling) explains key safeguards and where to find help.

Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. If you’re worried about your gambling or someone else’s, free confidential support is available from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.