New research by The Australia Institute shows that Australians have lost over $104 billion to gambling in the three years since the Murphy Review released its final report into the harms of online gambling.
Today the Albanese Government is expected to introduce legislation in response to the Murphy Review. If passed, it will introduce certain restrictions on gambling advertising, but stop well short of the full ban on ads for online gambling recommended by the Review.
The Australia Institute is today launching the National Gambling Toll, a real-time tracker of Australia's estimated gambling losses since July 1, 2023, right after the release of the Murphy Report. The toll can be viewed here.
Key points:
- Australians lost over $104 billion to gambling between July 1 2023 and July 1 2026.
- That equates to an average of $666 million per week.
- Australia's gambling losses have increased a staggering 75% since 2020.
- Rates of online gambling are rapidly increasing. In 2024, more than one third of Australian adults participated in online gambling, compared to just 8% in 2017.
- New polling shows that four in five (79%) Australians support a total ban on gambling advertisements including on TV, radio and online
"The astronomical gambling losses that have occurred while the Federal Government sat on the Murphy Report are a national tragedy," Chief Advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Reverend Tim Costello, said.
"Behind this eye-watering gambling losses total that has been highlighted by The Australian Institute, lies social harm on an industrial scale including bankruptcies, family break up, domestic violence and suicide. It is even more tragic that after all this time since the Murphy Report was delivered, the long-awaited response from the Albanese Government is far too timid.
"The proposed changes by the government will not protect children from gambling harm, will not stop the saturation of gambling ads and it will not break the link between sport and wagering – all stated aims of the Prime Minister.
"We must do more to stop gambling harm and a major step towards this would be the implementation of a full gambling ad ban, a ban on inducements and the creation of a national regulator," Rev Costello said.
"The National Gambling Toll shows the staggering financial losses that have amassed since the Murphy Review was released three years ago. How different could this picture be if a full ban on gambling advertising had been introduced straight away?" said Dr Morgan Harrington, Research Manager at the Australia Institute.
"Polling consistently shows that Australians support a total ban on gambling advertising. This includes almost four in five Australians asked in the past month.
"The toll makes the financial losses crystal clear. But what the toll doesn't capture is the immense harm that problem gambling does to individuals, families and communities."
