Australians Recognized as the Most Gambling Nation
Almost every bar and club in the country has gaming machines.
The most famous gambling region in the world is, of course, the state of Nevada in the USA, home to the famous Las Vegas. It boasts the highest number of slot machines, casinos, and gambling activities. The second place goes to New South Wales in Australia, where 90,000 slot machines are in operation, meaning roughly one machine for every 88 residents. In comparison, Nevada has 120,000 machines (one for every 25 residents).
However, there's a slight catch in this statistic. Las Vegas is a unique place in the US, with a culture that has been the subject of books, movies, and TV shows. In contrast, New South Wales is just another state in Australia. The Guardian supplemented these figures with some interesting facts:
1. Australia is home to 1% of the world’s population, yet 18% of the world’s slot machines are installed here.
2. The world's leading manufacturer of slot machines is the Australian company Aristocrat.
3. 76% of the slot machines installed outside large casinos (meaning in bars, stores, and regular venues) are located in Australia.
4. Australians lose about 25 billion dollars a year to gambling.
This huge sum, calculated by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, can be explained by the daily nature of gambling: many Australians don’t go to big casinos for gambling but spend their evenings playing games near their homes, routinely and unnoticed. The only exception is the state of Western Australia, where machines are only allowed in casinos. As a result, this state has the lowest percentage of financial losses.
In addition, Australians are very engaged in online gambling
In April, the Centre for Gambling Research at the Australian National University reported that a third of respondents in a new social survey admitted to having gambled at least once in the past few months. Websites like OnlineAuCasino.com are also growing in popularity as online gambling options expand.
Many public organizations are advocating for the reform of gambling legislation. Tim Costello, the chief lawyer of the Alliance, supports gambling reform and is convinced that casinos and slot machines are having a disastrous impact on the country: 63% of all money in the gambling system comes from people with addiction, and about 20% of suicides are linked to gambling addiction.
Many dissatisfied citizens suggest equating gambling with smoking and recognizing it as a health threat. A more radical approach has already been taken with tobacco in Australia: cigarette advertising was completely banned, and now less than 10% of the population smokes. However, according to social survey, nearly 75% of Australians gamble, albeit irregularly.
The accessibility of gambling is becoming a problem for people struggling with addiction. As participants in psychological support programs explain, a person can relapse anywhere: in a bar, store, while watching a sports match, or on a smartphone—advertisements for gambling are everywhere.
Tim Costello believes the cause is not in the national culture or mentality of Australians. It’s simpler: Australia has the most liberal gambling laws in the world, and advertising for various forms of this pastime is ubiquitous, including during sports or children’s TV programs. "Just imagine a child asking you what a multi-bet is," laments the lawyer.
Slot Machine Addiction: A Real Danger
Tim Costello, a representative of the Gambling Reform Alliance, compares Australia’s slot machine industry to the American gun lobby, emphasizing that these machines can become extremely dangerous for society.
Currently, there are more than 200,000 slot machines in Australia, making the country a leader in terms of the number of machines per capita.
The Consequences of Gambling Addiction: Tragedies and Losses
Gambling addiction is responsible for more than 400 suicides annually among Australians, as confirmed by local authorities. Tim Costello argues that slot machines are deliberately designed to create addiction by providing a powerful dopamine "hit" similar to the effect of cocaine.
The Illusion of Winning and Social Problems
For some people, playing slot machines is just entertainment, but for others, it becomes deceptively attractive, providing a sense of victory even when they are actually losing.
The Path to Rehabilitation: How to Combat Addiction
One of the government’s initiatives is the creation of registers for people who wish to limit access to online casinos and gambling. This is aimed at helping protect vulnerable groups from further financial and psychological losses.
Records and Global Consequences
Australia leads the world in gambling expenditure. According to studies, Australian gamblers spend an average of about 1,000 dollars per year each, which significantly surpasses the figures of other countries.
