Gambling in Australia 2026: Gambling Participation, At-risk Gambling, and Harm to Others

Abstract

Gambling harm remains a major public health issue in Australia. This report updates national prevalence estimates of gambling participation, at-risk gambling (PGSI), and affected others using seven waves of the ANUpoll survey (2019–2026). Data from 2026 (n = 3,482) were analysed alongside previous waves to examine patterns across gambling activities, online and venue modes, and demographic profiles. Overall gambling participation has levelled off since 2023, fluctuating between 58% and 61% of the adult population (60.6% in 2026), following the sharper declines seen during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. At-risk gambling was 17.6% in 2026 that after significant increase during COVID-19 in both gambling participation and risk of problem gambling, the level of at-risk gambling has settled at a new, elevated level rather than continuing to trend in either direction. Online gambling remained more common than in-venue gambling: 56.8% of people who gambled did so mainly online, with sports and race betting the most heavily online-based activities, and online engagement in electronic gaming machines and casino table games also growing. Online gambling was associated with male gender, mid-life age (45–55 years), higher household income, and more frequent gambling. Approximately 5.1% of adults reported being negatively affected by another person’s gambling in the past 12 months, with higher rates among younger adults (18–34), those in ‘other’ household types, mid-level household incomes, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, and those who themselves gambled at risk. Adults reporting financial stress had increased likelihood of reporting at-risk gambling and being negatively affected by someone else’s gambling. Taken together, these findings suggest that, after several years of rapid change, gambling participation and at-risk gambling have reached a stable but elevated plateau, underscoring the continued need for regulatory and public health responses as new restrictions on online gambling advertising and marketing take effect from January 2027.