【willbet Sports Betting】-New research reveals one in three Australian teenagers are gambling

According to The Australia Institute, using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA) survey, Australians placed bets totalling A$244.3bn in the 2022-23 financial year.

While a large portion of this was returned as winnings, net gambling losses amounted to A$31.5bn.

This figure surpasses the total gambling losses in Las Vegas, which the researchers say stood at A$21bn, and equates to nearly the size of the entire Northern Territory’s economy, according to the study.

The average annual gambling expense per Australian adult is A$1,527, but this figure increases to A$2,942 when only considering those who actively gamble.

Frequent gamblers reportedly spend close to A$35,000 a year. The study asserts that these habits begin to form during adolescence.

An estimated 902,717 Australians aged 12 to 19 engage in gambling, representing approximately 34% of this age group.

This number surpasses the combined total of teenagers participating in the two most popular sports in the country — football and basketball.

The scale of participation is reflected in the annual teenage gambling expenditure, estimated at A$231m. Of this, 12- to 17-year-olds contribute A$18.4m, while 18- to 19-year-olds account for A$213m.

Among all teenagers, the average gambling spend is A$86.72 per year. However, this average masks disparities.

Those who actively gamble spend more than this figure, with 18- to 19-year-olds spending an average of A$698 annually.

Among 12- to 17-year-olds who admit to gambling, the average spend is over A$30 per year, despite being under the legal gambling age.

The research also shows that gambling behaviours formed during adolescence tend to persist into adulthood.

Results mirror previous studies

The new research also references a previous study from the “Growing Up in Australia” project. It also found a significant increase in gambling participation from 16–17-year-olds (16%) to 18–19-year-olds (46%).

Furthermore, the study indicated that once these habits are established, they tend to continue through the early 20s, with little decline in participation until age 25.

Teenagers are introduced to gambling through various channels, including informal betting among peers, online video games with gambling elements like loot boxes, and exposure to gambling advertisements.

Among 12- to 17-year-olds surveyed in New South Wales, nearly 30% reported having gambled in the past year. Additionally, 40% had played video games containing gambling components, and 43% had gambled at least once in their lifetime.

When broken down by activity, the most common forms of gambling among underage youth include scratch cards, lotteries, informal private betting, and sports betting.

Fantasy sports betting and poker, while less common, involve higher median annual spending among participants. The total national annual expenditure among 12- to 17-year-olds on gambling is estimated at A$18.4m.

Among 18- to 19-year-olds, the average expenditure on gambling was A$321.10 per year across the entire age group, but reached A$811.57 among those who actively gamble.

This spending is concentrated in areas such as slots, racing, poker, and casino games. Data from the HILDA survey further confirmed that nearly 18% of individuals in this age group had gambled in the previous month.

Renewed calls for gambling ad bans

The crux of the research, according to some public anti-gambling groups, shows that complete gambling ad bans are necessary.

In early 2025, the Australian government decided to postpone implementing stricter regulations on gambling advertisements, despite broad public support for reform.

A 2023 inquiry into online gambling recommended a phased ban on gambling advertisements, which was backed by 76% of Australians.

Support for bans on gambling ads during family television hours, on social media, and in stadiums exceeded 80% in some cases.

Parents also express growing concern. Polling from the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne found that nearly 40% of parents were worried about their teens gambling.

However, less than half had ever spoken to their children about the issue, indicating a need for more widespread public awareness and education campaigns.

Research and analysis suggest that immediate intervention is required to address teenage gambling before these behaviours become ingrained.

The widespread prevalence, high expenditure levels, and early onset of gambling among Australian youth indicate that gambling is not merely an adult problem, but a generational issue that begins well before the legal age.