Australia

Australia: NATIONAL RESEARCH REVEALS ONLINE HABITS DOUBLE IN A DECADE

Published

4 years ago

October 13, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A two-year gambling study has revealed more Australians than ever are reaching for their phone to have a punt, with the number of online gamblers doubling in the past decade.

The Second National Study of Interactive Gambling in Australia surveyed more than 15,000 Australians and found 17.5 per cent of adults had gambled online in 2019, up from 8.1 per cent in 2010.

The study, funded by Gambling Research Australia, found that overall gambling participation decreased from 64.3 per cent in 2010, to 56.9 per cent in 2019.

Professor Nerilee Hing, from CQUniversity’s Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory said Australia’s most popular forms of online gambling were lotteries (10.1 per cent of adults), race betting (5.9 per cent) and sports betting (5.8 per cent).

“This growth in online gambling has been driven by faster internet speeds, the convenience of betting on smartphone apps, extensive advertising and inducements, and new betting options like multi-bets,” Professor Hing said.

“New online activities have also been introduced, including e-sports, fantasy sports, skin gambling, and loot boxes.”

The study found the average online gambler was likely to be a young male, better educated than the average Australian, in a de facto relationship, and to gamble across multiple activities.

The Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments are currently implementing the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering (the National Framework).

The intent of the National Framework is to bring Australian consumer protection measures up to date, to ensure they reflect best practice nationally, and are consistent across jurisdictions. The National Framework consists of 10 consumer protection measures that aim to reduce gambling harm.

This was also the first national study to examine the negative consequences of gambling for gamblers, their family and friends.

Overall, 9.1 per cent of Australian adults experienced some level of harm from their own gambling and 6.0 per cent from another person’s gambling. Online gamblers were twice as likely as land-based only gamblers to experience harm.

The findings from this study will further inform online gambling policy and consumer protection measures across Australia.

Gambling Research Australia is a national gambling research partnership between Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, and chaired by the NSW Government. GRA funds projects of national significance and contributed more than $1 million towards the Second National Study of Interactive Gambling in Australia.

CQUniversity’s Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory is a research initiative to support understanding of games of chance, through experiment, simulation, and observation.

Second National Study of Interactive Gambling in Australia researchers included CQUniversity team members Dr Alex Russell, Professor Matthew Rockloff, Professor Matthew Browne, Nancy Greer and Vijay Rawat, International researcher Dr Anne Salonen (National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland), Associate Professor Nicki Dowling and Dr Stephanie Merkouris (Deakin University), Dr Matthew Stevens (Charles Darwin University), Associate Professor Daniel King (Flinders University), and Linda Woo (former Executive Director of Policy and Projects, Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General).

ACMA

ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Sites

Published

3 days ago

October 17, 2025

Niji Narayan

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

The latest sites blocked include Crown Gold, Maxispin Casino, Rain.gg, Didibet, LuckyBet, Malina Casino and Spins of Glory.

Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1338 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Around 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.

The post ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Sites appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Australia

GLI Grows Stronger and Bigger in Melbourne with New Lab Location

Published

4 days ago

October 16, 2025

Niji Narayan

gli-grows-stronger-and-bigger-in-melbourne-with-new-lab-location

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Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has had a robust presence in Melbourne since it opened the lab in 2007. The company and its presence in Melbourne is stronger and bigger now that GLI has moved to a new lab location in the city.

The move was necessitated by GLI’s continually growing operations, and the upgrade to a larger facility in South Melbourne physically positions GLI even closer to many of its customers. GLI also operates labs in Adelaide and Syndey.

GLI’s Melbourne lab offers a full suite of services including:

• iGaming and Land-based Testing

• Casino Management Systems (CMS) Testing

• Interoperability Testing

• Quality Assurance

• Compliance

“We are excited about this next chapter as it strengthens our ability to meet our clients’ continually evolving needs. With these expert teams working together under one roof, we are better positioned to than ever to deliver comprehensive solutions for today’s gaming industry,” said Richard Howarth, Chief Business Officer – APAC.

The post GLI Grows Stronger and Bigger in Melbourne with New Lab Location appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Australia

RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch!

Published

5 days ago

October 15, 2025

Niji Narayan

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Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced Evive Australia as the first innovation to take the stage at Pitch! – part of the annual RTG gathering in Sydney in March.

The event will take place at the famous Sydney Opera House on 9 March 2026, as part of the sixth edition of the international regulatory and industry conference.

Evive is an app designed to help people change how they play or seek support for gambling harms. Created by Sam DeMello, a tech specialist drawing on his lived experience of gambling harm, and supported by Jay Robinson, a safer-gambling expert with over two decades of harm-minimisation and prevention experience, Evive Australia aims to deliver personalised tools, resources and pathways for anyone seeking to reduce risk or access help.

“Evive brings together real-world experience, clinical expertise and technology to create an accessible and credible platform for change. Pitch! was conceived to spotlight exactly these kinds of innovations – ideas that challenge convention, improve safeguards and reimagine the future of regulation and industry practice,” said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game.

“Evive isn’t just another app, it’s a bridge between lived experience, behavioral science and practical support. It shows that compliance and compassion can coexist, and when they do, everyone benefits. The app gives regulators and operators confidence in credible harm reduction tools, while giving people a safe, stigma free path to change,” Robinson said.

The post RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.