Victoria gambling report reveals $14.1B societal cost, urging reforms

A new report published by the Victorian State Government assesses the risks that gambling poses across a range of societal groups.

The publication covers a broad spectrum of social issues and examines the impact of gaming and gambling on individuals’ financial, emotional, and psychological well-being.

The study was funded by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) and features contributions from alumni and researchers at Central Queensland University. Contributors include Matthew Browne, Catherine Tulloch, Vijay Rawat, Georgia Dellosa, Alex M. T. Russell, Nerilee Hing, Matthew Rockloff, and Chris Doran.

The study was led with public health at its fore and found an estimated AUD 14.1 billion ($9.2 billion) in costs associated with gambling harm. Cost is a key pillar of the study, examining the radiating effects that financial pitfalls can have on a person’s workplace, family, and personal well-being.

A previous study conducted in Australia in 2015 found a AUD 7 billion ($4.6 billion) risk to the Victorian community; this doubling of the figure in a decade paints a stark picture. A further study, “The Social Costs of Gambling to Victoria, 2023,” laid the foundations for the 2025 publication.

“Tangible costs associated with gambling addiction were valued at $10.7 billion, with about half ($5.4 billion) linked to harmful consumption (gambling losses) and smaller amounts included for productivity-related losses (at home and in the workplace), social service costs, justice and law enforcement costs and family and others.”

Losses were a key point of focus for the publication, and it found that Electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and sports betting offers accounted for over 80% of the state’s gambling losses.

The study also highlighted the potential importance that bans on EGMs could have in reducing these risks to gamblers who fall under the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).

These included a tightening of regulations and the implementation of reforms to reduce the number of EGMs, such as mandatory identification, banning banknote acceptors, restrictions on nighttime gambling, mandatory pre-commitment, and default loss limits.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) has also been proactive in making decisions to curtail breaches of existing gambling regulations. The watchdog recently clamped down on two casinos, instructing them to appoint external investigators to ensure compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation.

Featured image: Pexels.

The post Victoria gambling report reveals $14.1B societal cost, urging reforms appeared first on ReadWrite.