Australians are, by the numbers, among the most enthusiastic gamblers on Earth - the country records the highest gambling losses per capita of any nation, around A$1,500 per adult each year (A$1,527 in 2022-23) and roughly A$31.5 billion in total losses in 2022-23. Gambling is stitched into national life through three institutions: the poker machine (“pokies”) in pubs and clubs, the racetrack crowned by the Melbourne Cup, and heavily advertised sports and race betting.

The numbers behind Australia’s gambling habit

Australia consistently tops international rankings for gambling losses per adult. In 2022-23, total recorded gambling losses reached roughly A$31.5 billion, equating to about A$1,527 per adult - well ahead of comparable countries. Poker machines account for the single largest share of those losses.

Pokies: the machine at the centre of it all

“Pokies” - poker/slot machines - are the defining feature of Australian gambling. Unusually, Australia allows them not just in casinos but in thousands of pubs and clubs across most states and territories (Western Australia is the notable exception, restricting them to its casino). Australia has only around 0.3% of the world’s population but hosts a disproportionately large number of gaming machines, making pokies the central focus of harm-reduction debate and reform.

The racetrack and the Melbourne Cup

Horse racing is the traditional backbone of Australian betting. The Melbourne Cup, first run in 1861, is famously “the race that stops a nation” - a public holiday in Victoria and the one day a year when many otherwise non-betting Australians place a wager or join an office sweep. Alongside it, betting on the AFL, NRL and cricket drives year-round wagering, much of it now online through licensed bookmakers.

Two-up: the once-a-year tradition

Two-up - a coin-tossing game where players bet on whether two coins land heads or tails - dates back to Australia’s colonial era and was hugely popular with WWI soldiers. It is otherwise illegal as unregulated gambling, but most states grant a special legal exemption on Anzac Day (25 April) - and in some jurisdictions on other commemorative days - so RSL clubs and pubs can run legal two-up games in honour of servicemen. (Broken Hill in NSW is a rare exception where two-up runs year-round under licence.)

Attitudes and reform

Gambling is culturally normalised in Australia, but the scale of losses - and their concentration among problem gamblers - has driven ongoing reform: the BetStop national self-exclusion register (2023), the credit-card and crypto payment ban (2024), advertising restrictions and debate over pokie reforms such as mandatory pre-commitment and cashless gaming cards. The tension between a deeply embedded gambling culture and mounting harm-reduction pressure defines the current landscape.

You must be 18+ to gamble in Australia. Gamble responsibly - set limits, never chase losses, and reach out for support (National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858, or BetStop at betstop.gov.au) if you need it.

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