Gambling rates reduced during the pandemic, but returned to pre-pandemic levels once social restrictions were lifted, according to research published by the Australian National University on Friday.
By this year, gambling for betting on sporting / special events and poker / gaming machines had nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, the report finds.
Lead author Dr Aino Suomi, director of the ANU Centre for Gambling Research, said the results indicate that restricting access reduces gambling rates – particularly for those playing poker-machines, “one of the most addictive forms of gambling”, or betting on sports at low-risk levels.
During the pandemic, from 2020 to early 2022, gambling venues closed, restricting high yield gambling activities such as casinos and electronic gaming machines, the report states. The cancellation of sports and racing events reduced the amount of sports betting opportunities for punters.
However, online gambling likely increased. (Information was limited.)
While a considerable proportion of low-risk and non-problem gamblers ceased gambling during the pandemic, high-risk gambling increased and persevered during the pandemic. Dr Suomi said this shows the need to improve supports for high-risk gamblers.
“Those gambling at risky levels were participating in sports betting at disproportionally high levels pre-, during and post-pandemic,” Dr Suomi said.
Those most at risk had a higher likelihood of gambling severity, psychological distress, and drinking alcohol, the report shows. Lonely young men were particularly at risk.
Once lockdown restrictions began ease, the gambling risk increased across all risk categories (including non-gamblers), the report found.
In Canberra, for instance, ACT Government data show that electronic gambling machine total player losses fell from $165.8 million in 2018 and $169.9 million in 2019 to $107.1 million in 2020, but rose to $143.7 million in 2021 and $185.8 million in 2022.
Labor MLA Dr Marisa Paterson, former director of the ANU Centre for Gambling Research, said the research backed her campaign to keep the Molonglo Valley free from poker machines, launched last month.
“The less access you have to poker machines or gambling, the less likely you are to participate and to experience harm,” Dr Paterson said. “While no-one ever wants to go through lockdowns again, there are other ways to restrict access – for example, examining opening hours. There is more and more evidence coming out about the level of harm occurring in venues in the early hours of the morning.
“I believe COVID restrictions and lockdowns were a significantly missed opportunity to really address gambling harm in the ACT. As the ANU research outlines, high-risk gamblers changed and adapted their gambling habits – the missed opportunity was to offer them the support to shift their gambling habits, to non-gambling habits.
“The summary really is we are status-quo, but losing more.”
In the ACT, she noted, losses on pokies are up 10 per cent from before the pandemic.
“That is a loss of those years of possible intervention, and ultimately, the harm caused is a loss to society.”
