A new report by the Alliance for Gambling Reform has confirmed that more than 430,000 in Australia are currently gambling. These children are all under the age of 16, notes the organization’s chief executive Carol Bennett, with close to 40,000 children now categorized as at-risk gamblers, and another 14,400 referred to as problem gamblers.

Extrapolating to Get to the Worrying Numbers

The issue is serious says Bennett backed by Reverend Tim Costello, the Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Chief Advocate, as it suggests that Australia is facing a problem that it has been slow to address or even acknowledge.

Bennett argued that the data provided by the Alliance for Gambling Reform was not based on research conducted in Australia, but one delivered in the United Kingdom, with the methodology and numbers extrapolated to cover the Down Under. Another thing that was noted in the report was that the average spent per person on gambling in Australia is AU$332 as opposed to $276 in say, Sweden. Bennett added:

International research reveals that as the number of gamblers increases, so does the number of gamblers experiencing the most harm, and based on Australia’s rate of gambling it is likely that up to 70,000 people in Australia are experiencing significant harm.

Alliance for Gambling Reform chief executive Carol Bennett

Costello blasted the lack of regulatory action and said that this had serious long-term consequences for society. He urged lawmakers to start working on problem gambling and treat the matter as a health issue. “There is very little difference between those using deceptive marketing to promote vaping products to children than those grooming our kids to gamble online,” Costello urged, saying that the government is serious about regulating vaping products, but has left online gambling scot-free in the process.

Problem Gambling Should Be Recognized as Public Health Problem

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has been a passionate advocate for the reduction of gambling harm in society. The organization has urged lawmakers to come together and stop gambling advertisements in Australia altogether and create a unifying national gambling regulator.

Surprisingly, most Australians are also keen to see fewer gambling advertisements on their screens. Costello said on Monday that one thing was evident when it came to problem gambling – lawmakers have failed to see it as a public health issue which it is.