The first national study of gambling among young people in Australia has revealed that the majority of 10−24-year-olds have participated in a gambling activity at least once in the year just passed.

ACER was commissioned to undertake the study by the Victorian Department of Justice on behalf of Gambling Research Australia (GRA). The purpose of the research was to describe the current gambling behaviour of young people and to analyse how gambling is similar to, or distinct from, other risk-taking behaviours. It also sought to identify and analyse the differences between young people who become problem gamblers from those who do not develop a problem, and sought to determine possible risk inhibitors and risk enhancers relevant to gambling for young people.

More than 5600 young people participated in the study. Half (50.7 per cent) of the participants were aged between 18 and 24, 27.3 per cent between 15 and 17,  and 22 per cent between 10 and 14.

The study found that overall, 77 per cent of young people had participated in a gambling activity at least once in the 12 months just passed. There were some difference according to age, with 76 per cent of 10–14-year-olds, 64 per cent of 15–17 year olds, and 85 per cent of 18–24-year-olds having gambled at least once in the previous year.

Of those who said they had gambled at least once in the previous year, 56 per cent were classified as social gamblers, 16 per cent as at-risk gamblers and five per cent as problem gamblers. Males were more likely to be at-risk or problem gamblers than females, with 5.7 per cent of males being problem gamblers compared to 3.2 per cent of females, and 19.1 per cent of males classified as at-risk gamblers compared to 13.9 per cent of females.

On average, problem gamblers reported participating in eight different types of gambling activities, while at-risk gamblers reported five different activities and social gamblers three. The most common gambling activities among young people overall were the purchase of instant prize-tickets or scratch cards (80 per cent), playing card games at home or in the homes of friends or relatives (77 per cent), purchase of lottery tickets (74 per cent) and participation in football tipping competitions (67 per cent).

Overall, 64 per cent of young people indicated that they had used poker machines, 62 per cent played casino games other than cards and 59 per cent played card games in a casino. Importantly, not all of these people were over 18 years old – five per cent of 10–14-year olds reported that they had played card games in a casino and 7.6 per cent other games in a casino.

The young people who participated in the focus group sessions that formed part of this study generally believed that gambling activities were in some way harmful. However, activities such as the purchase of a lottery ticket, placing a wager on the Melbourne Cup and the purchase of raffle tickets for charitable events were not viewed negatively, rather they were viewed as culturally accepted and, in some cases, expected.

Positive attitudes to gambling and low self-esteem were identified as two factors associated with problem gambling. The report suggests that targeting these factors, as well as young people’s understanding of what constitutes gambling and their perceptions about gamblers, will play an important part in developing intervention procedures aimed at reducing levels of youth gambling in Australia.

The full report, Gambling and Young People in Australia by ACER researchers Nola Purdie, Gabrielle Matters, Kylie Hillman, Martin Murphy and Clare Ozolins, and Pam Millwood from Wallis Consulting Group, is available from the Gambling Research Australia website. 

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