'My addiction spiralled': gambling crisis harms laid bare in new report

The National Gambling Prevalence Study Pilot found the number of Australians gambling rose eight per cent in five years, and 68 per cent of high-risk gamblers experienced cognitive, behavioural or mental health conditions.

Mark Kempster knows firsthand just how a gambling addiction can affect someone's life beyond finances.

The Tasmanian man's ten-year addiction to gambling apps in his twenties saw him lose more than one hundred thousand dollars.

"Once I had access in my pocket every day, it became so easy to make a bet and my addiction spiralled," he said.

"It's the dopamine effect...you want to chase the win.

He said his addiction "got bigger and bigger" until he eventually lost control.

His mental health deteriorated, as did his relationships. He put on 30kg because he was so depressed.

"I turned into quite a horrible person during that time. I was a really social and fun person to be around."

The catalyst for change came on AFL grand final day in 2020, when he lost thousands of dollars.

His partner, the mother of his son, urged him to get help.

"That was the catalyst I needed to not lose her and my boy from my life," he said.

Mr Kempster admits working his way out of addiction took "a lot of work", but he has never looked back.

He said he was "driven to make change" to ensure others didn't fall into the same trap.

"We have to rein in gambling advertising as an absolute priority," he said. "It needs to be treated like the public health issue it clearly is, in the exact way cigarettes were."

The new study, released on September 24, reveals that gambling participation is rising and linked to serious issues, including suicidal thoughts, intimate partner violence, and financial stress.

The National Gambling Prevalence Study Pilot, conducted in 2024 by the Australian Gambling Research Centre at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, found 65 per cent of Australian adults gambled at least once in the past year, up from 57 per cent in 2019.

In the study, 36 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women reported gambling at least monthly.

Gabriel Tillman, a research fellow at the Australian Gambling Research Centre, told ACM that gambling has far-reaching consequences.

"We are finding strong links to suicidal thoughts, financial hardship, mental health issues, and even intimate partner violence," he said.

The study found 68 per cent of high-risk gamblers experienced cognitive, behavioural or mental health conditions, 16 per cent experienced suicidal thoughts, and 66 per cent experienced financial hardship (going without meals).

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Nineteen per cent of respondents whose partner gambled weekly or more experienced intimate partner violence.

The report urged legislators to treat gambling as a "major public health issue" requiring a coordinated response.

"Any policies seeking to address gambling harm should consider the links between riskier gambling and mental health, intimate partner violence and financial stress," the report found.

The study found that among the gambling activities offered in Australia, lotteries were the most popular, with 52.7 per cent of adults participating at least once in the past 12 months.

This was followed by instant scratch tickets (24.5 per cent), poker machines (19.8 per cent) and race betting (17.8 per cent).

Queensland had the highest prevalence of gambling at 70.2 per cent, followed by Western Australia (69.6 per cent) and South Australia 66.9 per cent.

New South Wales reported a slightly lower rate at 63.9 per cent, while Victoria and Tasmania reported the lowest prevalence at 60 per cent and 59.9 per cent, respectively.

Dr Tillman said part of the reason for the surge in gambling was that the landscape had "evolved".

Dr Tillman said those struggling in regional and rural areas can have difficulty accessing help due to a lack of specialised services in the bush and because it is harder to be anonymous due to smaller communities.

Gambling policy has been stalled with the federal government yet to provide a response to a landmark parliamentary gambling harm report handed down in 2023 by late Labor MP Peta Murphy.

The keystone recommendations were a ban on gambling advertising and inducements.

A draft response to recommendations was ready in November 2024, but Labor shelved any action ahead of the May election.