Most gambling losses are from at-risk gamblers

State governments regulate casinos, pokies, the racing industry, and other land-based gambling, with different rules in different states. Showed how effective the gambling industry is in influencing Australian politics, punching well above its weight. Organised attempts to influence policy can create windfall gains for a few, at the expense of the many. Just 5 per cent of gamblers account for 77 per cent of gambling spending using debit cards (Figure 1.6). This top 5 per cent spend 10 times as much as the bottom 80 per cent combined.

A last-minute $300 million rescue deal, hinging on the sale of Star’s 50 per cent stake in Brisbane’s Queen’s Wharf casino and hotel complex, broke down this week. But rapidly changing gambling habits, a string of brutal regulatory crackdowns and the loss of high-roller VIPs from China have now left those casino giants facing new challenges to survive. There was a time in Australia when the casino was the crown jewel of each of our capital cities. There was a time in Australia when the casino was the crown jewel of each capital city. A Tax Calculator is provided below to assist shareholders in calculating the Australian capital gains tax cost base allocation for Tabcorp shares and The Star Entertainment Group shares.

This will be especially important given the roadmap will take several years to fully implement. Recent Royal Commissions, reviews of Australian casinos, and the NSW Crime Commission’s inquiry into money laundering through pokies have collectively sparked outrage around the country. A universal system may need to be administered by a national agency (as it is in Germany and Norway) to keep track of people’s nominated limits and spending across providers.

A ‘legal bookmaker’ is defined as a licensed bookmaker approved by Liquor & Gaming NSW or by any other relevant state or territory legal authority. TAB Limited operates a unique position in online betting in the state in that it is licensed under the Totalizator Act 1997 (NSW) to conduct totalizator and fixed odds wagering. TAB Limited is the exclusive provider of off-course retail betting services in NSW. Carded gaming, also known as pre-commitment or mandatory patron tracking, requires players to insert a personalised player card before gambling on electronic gaming machines (EGMs).

Mandatory pre-commitment for pokies should be a priority given that pokies are a particularly harmful form of gambling (see Chapter 1). Regulators should be wary that setting limits on how much people can lose while gambling creates an incentive for the industry to more aggressively try to increase its customer base. This makes the ban on all gambling advertising and inducements (Section 3.1.1) all the more important. These recommendations would make gambling much safer, but they will take several years to implement. In the meantime, governments should improve support services to help those suffering harm now.

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They can make their presence known locally, with pokies providers in almost every electorate, stoke community fears about loss of jobs and services (Chapter 4), and they exert financial influence too. Mandatory pre-commitment with upper limits on losses could provide that safety net (see Chapter https://www.blackcomblodgedirect.com/blog/2025/07/16/online-blackjack-australia-real-money-or-free-at/ 3). This report mainly focuses on reducing the harm caused by pokies and betting. Other forms of gambling can undoubtedly be harmful, but are either lower risk113 or less common,114 so receive less attention in this report.

Many forms of online gambling services are outlawed federally in Australia under section 5 of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) (‘IGA’). This act outlines a broad prohibition against ‘interactive gambling services’ when delivered via digital communication methods. And in NSW – the state with almost as many pokies as the rest of the country combined – the most recent state election was fought at least in part on pokies reforms. While the policies being debated were more focused on money laundering risks than gambling harm, both major parties brought policies to the table. Lotteries were the most common form of gambling, followed by instant scratch tickets, poker machines, racing and sports betting. There is a risk that some people in the grip of gambling addiction seek out unlicensed websites in a deliberate attempt to circumvent loss limits.

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• The industry has a track record of thwarting reforms, including by stoking community fears about unintended consequences.
• The industry contends that stronger regulation would push gamblers towards illegal gambling websites,259 which lack consumer protection measures.260 But the risk of illegal gambling is small compared with the known harm of the current environment.
• “In most countries, casinos are on the outskirts of town,” Thomas explains.
• Many video games include gambling-like features that familiarise children with gambling and can be a gateway to other gambling.

“The key thing that we believe should happen for poker machines is that you should have a cashless card, which you preset the amount of money you want to lose before you play,” Thomas said. He said Australia needed to do more to regulate gambling, including limiting online gambling ads. Dr Tillman said gambling advertising targeted towards young people increased the risk of harm. The state government is being urged to fast-track pokies carded play, used at Crown Casino, to all of Victoria’s poker machine venues. While the study found most Australians — around 50 per cent — were considered non-risk gamblers, which means they did not experience harm related to the practice, the study found there had been a rise in people who experienced some form of gambling-related harm. New data on gambling in Australia reveals that around 3 million people are engaged in some form of harmful gambling, which is linked to financial stress, family violence and poor mental health.

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There is no current holder of an interactive gambling licence in Queensland. Find information on upcoming VGCCC hearings, including gaming machine applications, disciplinary actions, and casino exclusion appeals. In regard to lotteries in NSW, the Public Lotteries Act 1996 requires the provider of lottery, including an online lottery, to be authorised if the total prize value exceeds $30,000. Under section 6 of the Act, it is an offence to conduct a public lottery without lawful authority.

Federal and state governments should brave the vested interests and work together in the interests of all Australians to make gambling a safer, better bet. Chapter 2 shows that governments have failed to take the necessary steps to prevent gambling harm, mainly because of the political risks of taking on the industry and its allies. Every jurisdiction has work to do in preventing gambling harm, and reform will be easier and more effective if jurisdictions coordinate their efforts. But that shouldn’t mean delaying state-based reform efforts, or waiting for laggards. If some jurisdictions fail to step up, others should push ahead without them. State governments give away at least $1.2 billion in pokies tax concessions for clubs230 – more than enough to cover the cost of improving support services.