Fed: Gambling industry facts

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-1999
Fed: Gambling industry facts

Here are some key facts from the Productivity Commission's report into Australia's
gambling industries:



* Over 80 per cent of Australians gambled at least once over the past year, spending
$11 billion. Around 40 per cent of people bet regularly.

* Gambling accounts for an estimated 1.5 per cent of GDP and employs over 100,000 people
in more than 7,000 businesses.

* Around 290,000 Australians are classed medium to high-level problem gamblers, losing
$12,000 a year on average.

* Problem gamblers comprise 15 per cent of regular gamblers, but account for one-third
or $3.5 billion of total spending.

* Estimates of gambling's contribution to Australia's economy range from net losses
of $1.2 billion to net gains of $4.3 billion.

* Australia has around 185,000 gaming machines, one fifth of the world's total. Half are in NSW.

* Gambling taxes account for 12 per cent of state and territory government revenues.

* Gaming machines account for 52 per cent of gambling expenditure, ahead of racing
(15 per cent), casinos (20 per cent) and lotteries (11 per cent).

* NSW and Victorian residents spend the most on gambling ($960 and $920 per adult respectively,
accounting for 3.6 and 3.5 per cent of household disposable income).

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KEYWORD: GAMBLING (CANBERRA)

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.