A new report by The Australia Institute has triggered nationwide concern after revealing that more Australian teenagers are gambling than participating in organized sports. According to the April 2025 publication, over 900,000 young people aged 12 to 19 have engaged in some form of gambling over the past year, signaling a critical public health and regulatory challenge.
The data shows that 30% of teens aged 12 to 17 have gambled at least once, with the figure rising to 46% among 18- and 19-year-olds. These numbers now surpass youth participation in traditional sports like football and basketball.
The estimated annual gambling expenditure among teens exceeds AUD $231 million, with underage gambling (12–17 years) accounting for AUD $18.4 million of that total. On average, a gambling teen spends AUD $86.72 per year, with active gamblers averaging AUD $256 annually. For legal-age youth (18–19), that number skyrockets to AUD $698 per gambler.
Researchers emphasize that much of this behavior starts informally — through loot boxes in video games, private betting among friends, or exposure to gambling-like apps — all of which normalize wagering long before adulthood.
Australia already holds the unwanted title of highest gambling losses per capita in the world. In 2022–23, Australians bet AUD $244.3 billion, resulting in losses of AUD $31.5 billion — well above figures recorded in Las Vegas or Macau.
Despite the gravity of the findings, the federal government has so far delayed implementing key recommendations made by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs. These include a complete ban on gambling advertising, particularly on social media, sports uniforms, and stadiums — a move supported by 87% of Australians, according to national surveys.
Without robust regulation, Australia risks deepening the normalization of gambling among minors. Advocacy groups argue that industry-driven marketing and insufficient safeguards have created a generation exposed to gambling harms before they’re even old enough to legally place a bet.
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