Australians are the biggest gamblers in the world per capita. How did it come to this? A rich history
• By the 1830s, European settlement in Australia brought a steady stream of migrants who were taking the ultimate gamble – resettling on the other side of the world. • The discovery of gold in the 1850s encouraged a torrent of speculators, often armed with no more than a shovel and a wheelbarrow. • Most remained insolvent but some found bonanzas. Gold-rich towns, Melbourne in particular, developed rapidly. Modern enclosed racecourses soon followed. • Initially, gambling was restricted to side bets between the horses’ connections. That changed in 1882 when Englishman Robert Sievier visited Australia. He was the first bookmaker to stand on a regular pitch, accept cash bets and pay winners after each race. Sievier soon had numerous imitators on course – bookmakers registered with race clubs, betting on races like the Melbourne Cup, which by the 1890s attracted 100,000-plus racegoers. Some fun on the front line
• People bet off-course too – in barber shops and saloons, not only on the races but rowing events, cycling and “pedestrianism” (foot races). • Despite state betting acts passed in 1906 intended to restrict gambling, by the first world war, capital cities were dotted with racecourses. • Male racegoers were encouraged to “play up and play the game” – as the famous 1892 imperialist poem Vitai Lampada by Henry Newbolt urged – and enlist in the defence forces. When their enthusiasm curbed in 1917 after causalities at the front seeped back, governments reduced the number of race meetings but this caused crowds at those remaining to treble. The connection in Australia between mateship, the “Anzac legend”, sport and gambling
Two-up remains a facet of the Australian psyche today – illegal, although authorities turn a blind eye on Anzac Day, supposedly out of respect for returned soldiers. This concession reflects the connection in Australia between mateship, the “Anzac legend”, sport and gambling. The pokie problem
• After the first world war, racecourse attendances grew even larger. • The 1929 Depression eroded them but the emergence of racing radio broadcasts and the spread of the telephone network fed a regrowth in illegal off-course betting, especially in New South Wales. • That state was also the scene of the next big, and perhaps most significant, development in gambling in Australia: the legalisation of poker machines in 1956. “The pokies” were originally restricted to registered clubs: mostly returned servicemen clubs, but in 1997, the NSW Labor government allowed them into hotels, where they soon rendered the less exciting “dancing joker” card machines extinct. A global comparison
Since then, pokies have become a major part of Australia’s gambling landscape. In fact:

1. Australia has less than 1% of the world’s population but 18% of its poker machines.
2. Australians are the world’s biggest gambling losers per capita, gambling away at least $25 billion a year, and possibly even $31.5 billion.

The options are endless
• Poker machines reign as the dominant form of gambling in Australia, but there are many more options: lotteries and instant lotteries (“scratchies”), Keno and sports betting, which is fast replacing horseracing as the main business of the so-called corporate bookmakers that have emerged in the past 25 years. • As technology continues to advance, online gambling – which is difficult to regulate and control – might be the biggest ongoing threat to gamblers. Australian Gamblers at Risk

“Pokies are a major public health problem in Australia, causing significant harm to individuals, families, and communities.””

“Gambling is a matter of personal choice, but it can have serious consequences for individuals, families, and communities. In Australia, where gambling is legalised and regulated, it is a matter of regulation, not prohibition.”

“While regulation is necessary, the industry is also a significant source of revenue for state and federal governments.””
It is a paradox that the very systems designed to prevent harm to individuals and communities also facilitate the growth of the industry.
The Australian government is currently exploring ways to address the issue of poker machine addiction, including introducing measures to limit the number of pokie machines in pubs and clubs, as well as increasing funding for problem gambling services.

While some argue that the industry is a necessary part of Australia’s economy, others argue that it is a major public health problem that requires a more nuanced approach to regulation and control.
The relationship between Australian culture and gambling is complex, influenced by factors such as the country’s history, its social and cultural norms, and its economic conditions. While some see gambling as a necessary part of the country’s economic and social fabric, others view it as a major public health problem that requires a more careful and nuanced approach to regulation and control.