Gambling in Australia – 73% Participation Rate, Trends, Stats & More

Australia is one of the most interesting countries and is famous for its wildlife, modern cities and tons of other things. Although it’s not the first country that comes to mind when talking about gambling or sports betting, Australia is also among the leaders in this segment.

Following my research for Nostrabet.com, it became clear that around 73% of Australian adults gambled at least once in the last year. What’s more, the stats revealed that close to 38% gambled at least every week. I have analyzed multiple gambling markets worldwide, and it’s safe to say that Australia has some of the most intriguing stats out there.

After learning more about the country’s gambling stats, it became clear that the participation rate is just one impressive aspect. There’s a lot more to discuss, so let’s begin.

Lotteries/Scratchies and Horse Racing Are the Go-to Options for Australian Bettors

Since sports betting and online gambling are so popular in Australia, it’s no surprise that people wager on many things. In fact, the stats show the following:

• Around 64% of bettors choose lotteries and scratchies. The latter has always been popular in the country, whereas the lottery gained more traction in the last couple of years. Alongside the domestic lottery, players often place bets on international options (more and more iGaming operators provide these options).
• Horse racing takes the second spot in popularity with 38%, followed closely by sports betting with 34%. Australians wager on various sports, including basketball, cricket, soccer, rugby, and more. As for horse racing, Australia is home to races like the Golden Slipper Stakes, Cox Plate, Australian Cup, and more.
• Pokies are next on the list with 33%, and this is a typical fan favorite in Australia. In case you do not know, Pokies are special Australian-style gaming machines that are very popular in the country.
• On average, most gamblers in Australia wager on two products (sports betting and horse racing, for example). However, the stats show that around 23% gamble on six or even more options.

Gambling Spendings & Characteristics of Gamblers

Even though gambling can be fun and even rewarding if you are lucky, it’s no secret that some people spend a lot of money doing it. What’s interesting is that Australia has always been one of the leaders in this segment. Some stats reveal that people in the country lose close to $25B each year from legal gambling activities.

• According to some stats, the average amount people spend in Australia to gamble is around $83 per day on sports betting. The stats for wagering on things like horse races are even higher and can reach $93. As for all other gambling activities (including casino games, lotteries, and more), this number is $109.
• The stats for 2025 show that the average revenue per user will reach ~$810. Just for a comparison, this number is around $506 in the US, despite having the largest gambling market in the world at $121.29B. 
• In terms of the gamblers’ characteristics, the stats depend on the gambling product. For example, those who wager on sports or racing or play pokies are usually younger males who are employed and live with dependent children. 
• Older participants (55+) usually choose to bet on horse racing and spend more money than the rest on things like scratchies and lotteries.

The Sports that People Bet On & How They Do It

Sports betting is huge in Australia, so it’s no surprise that locals place bets on many things. Considering that close to half of Australian adults wager on sports, some options and leagues are very popular among locals.

• The stats show that the Australian Football League is the go-to option for most sports bettors in the country. 42% of them choose to wager on this league.
• The NRL is the second option with 32%, and soccer comes second with 26%. Some people probably expected higher numbers for the latter because soccer is usually the most popular sport in the world for betting. 
• As expected, online sports betting is most people’s go-to option. What’s interesting is that only 22% of people use their computers to wager on sports. 42% of them decided to do that via their smartphones. This proves that mobile betting is more popular than ever and shows why operators invest so much money into their mobile services.
• Most people who bet online have at least two accounts, whereas 19% have three or more accounts. This is probably not surprising because Australia is home to many different sports betting operators.

Potential Gambling Problems & The Community’s Attitude

Responsible gambling has been one of the hottest topics in recent years. Regulators are enforcing different rules that betting companies have to follow, the goal of which is to promote how to play responsibly and the risks associated with gambling. Despite that, the number of users who are at risk increases all the time, and this is also true in Australia.

• Based on the stats, around 46% of those who gamble are at some kind of risk of gambling harm. As expected, most of the people who were at risk were men (53% of men versus 38% of women). 
• An interesting fact is that the proportion of gamblers who are at risk of developing some kind of problem decreases with age. In other words, young adults are more likely to have gambling problems than the rest.
• Considering all of the gambling stats in Australia, it’s no surprise that most people in the country believe gambling is too prevalent. Around 77% think that there are too many opportunities to gamble. 59% think that gambling should be discouraged. With that said, 47% say that people should have the right to gamble whenever they want, which means that not everyone thinks gambling should be banned.

In terms of gambling-related harms, they can be divided into different groups. Some people have general issues (such as reduced performance in what they are doing), whereas others can find themselves in situations where they need immediate support.

It seems like the Australian authorities are concerned about the potential problems related to gambling because there have been several legislative changes recently associated with gambling ads. For example, authorities in some parts of the country have banned gambling ads on buses, trains, the metro, light rail, and more.

Future of Gambling in Australia

Since the gambling industry is growing worldwide, it’s no surprise that it is also getting bigger in Australia. Aside from the fact that local bettors spend more money than almost anyone else, users’ preferences also seem to change.

• Based on research from the University of Melbourne, pokies are not as popular as before. Even though the overall spending on pokies increased drastically in the last couple of years, fewer people chose this option.
• Speaking of pokies, it seems like women are more likely to choose this over men. In fact, some stats show that women’s monthly expenditure on pokies was around AU$100 in 2018. For comparison, the number in 2022 has increased to almost AU$285.
• Despite being the go-to options, lottery games and scratch tickets have also been losing popularity lately. The stats reveal that more people chose these options before than today.
• Dog and horse racing, on the other hand, continue to gain more traction and are more popular than before.

Since Australia has more gamblers than before, some experts predict an increase in problems related to this activity. This is one of the reasons why the authorities in the country are doing everything possible to help those in need.

Closing Thoughts

Australia is one of the more interesting countries in terms of gambling. Despite not having the largest market in the world, people there spend a lot of money on their hobby. This, combined with the relatively liberal gambling laws in the country, resulted in the arrival of many top-tier iGaming platforms.

Even though some people in Australia prefer land-based pokies, the majority of bettors choose online platforms. Operators are aware of this and are doing everything possible to become available on the local market.

Considering how things are going, I would not be surprised if the country decides to restrict gambling even more. The growing number of people who have gambling-related problems is alarming, and we can see that the local authorities in some parts of the country have already taken action. It will be interesting to see what’s going to happen in the next couple of years.