Australia’s gambling culture has become an increasingly serious issue, as teenagers find themselves drawn to betting.
With gambling services easily accessible, young adults between the ages of eighteen and nineteen are losing on average $320 annually.
Children as young as 12 have also been found to be playing their hand at gambling, with almost one in three in the age group admitting to betting.
The Australian Institute has identified the popular forms of gambling and highest expenditure for twelve to seventeen-year-olds in Australia, with sports betting and scratchies becoming the most targeted ways of spending.
North Nowra Tavern employee William McNamara said this trend is problematic.
“It is sad seeing guys around my age, like groups of guys, heading into the pokies or the ATM to get money out,” Mr McNamara said.
“We try our hardest to check IDs from all young people but some underage people can slip through, it can be hard to tell.
“It is most definitely a problem if you can’t just come for a beer with your mates and you have to gamble in some way.”
Mental health issues are becoming prominent for young Australians due to their gambling habits, while also tending to strain relationships and cause financial issues.
Australian Medical Association Vice President, Professor Julian Rait said in a statement, the health impacts of gambling addiction need to be addressed.
“Australians lose more to gambling than any other country in the world,” Prof Rait said.
“Gambling addiction is a serious health issue linked to mental illness, substance abuse, family breakdown and severe financial distress.”
In recent years, poker/gaming machines have been the main culprit in adolescent gambling and spending.
Young Australians who regularly use ‘pokies’, aged 18–34, spend an average of $500 per month on the machines alone, and $1,453 a month across all gambling activities.
In 2026, bills are being considered by the Australian government in attempts to mend gambling habits for young Australians.
Additional reporting by Serena Farrington
