A study has found that 45% of Australian adults aged 16-35 gamble weekly. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Bets n’ Booze

A new study in Australia has found that 45% of young adults aged 16-35 in the country gamble every week.

The study, “Bets n’ Booze,” was commissioned by the Australian Institute for Family Studies and the Australian Gambling Research Centre, and featured an online sample of 1,100 adults from across the country.

14% even saying that gambling caused them to drink more

The study tied alcohol consumption to gambling, finding that 80% of respondents said that they drink alcohol while gambling, and 14% even saying that gambling caused them to drink more.

Dr. Nancy Greer, a Research Fellow at the Australian Gambling Research Centre, said: “About half our survey respondents said gambling was a social activity for them—with 38% reporting that having a bet made watching the activity more interesting.”

More than a third of those we surveyed seeing gambling as a tool to make money”

“We also found many young people have inaccurate views of gambling harms, with more than a third of those we surveyed seeing gambling as a tool to make money or get ahead financially, even though the odds of this are very low.”

Differing habits

The study also found significant discrepancies between males and females. While both sexes gambled with about the same regularity, the types of bets placed different significantly.

While 75% of males had placed a bet on a sports event in the last 12 months compared to just 39% of females, the opposite was true for scratch cards, where 75% of females and 52% of males had made a purchase in the preceding year.

29% of the poll’s respondents reported having gambled when a minor

Underage gambling was also revealed to be a significant problem – 29% of the poll’s respondents reported having gambled when a minor. 34% of under-18s also admitted to regularly gambling on pokies, the ubiquitous slot machines found throughout Australian venues such as bars, cafes, hotels, and gas stations.

Government under pressure

The survey comes shortly after a report which claims that Australians have the highest per-capita gambling losses in the world, and amid a political storm over the possibility of banning gambling advertising.

The incumbent Labor government is under significant pressure from campaign groups and other political parties to issue an outright ban on ads, but with many media organizations reliant on the revenue from gambling operators, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appears reluctant to make enemies with an election not too far away.

For now, the situation appears deadlocked, with a compromise position likely to be found. But with the time to make a decision ticking away, continued studies like Bets n’ Booze will add to the pressure faced by Albanese to press ahead with an outright ban.