Australians lost $33.0 billion on legal gambling in 2024–25, according to Australian Gambling Statistics, published on 11 August 2026. The figure counts money lost by players, not money wagered. It works out at about $1,528 for every adult, and more than half of it, $17.4 billion, went into pokies in clubs and hotels. The most recent national survey, from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) in 2024, found that 15% of adults were at some risk of gambling harm.
These gambling statistics for Australia come from three sources that measure different things in different years. This guide gives each number its year, its source and its definition, then explains what the figures leave out. It gives general information and is not medical, financial or legal advice.
Gambling statistics Australia at a glance
The table lists the figures people quote most often, each with its year and source. Read the rows as separate measurements, not as one data set.
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total gambling losses | $33.0 billion | 2024–25 | Australian Gambling Statistics |
| Losses per adult | $1,528 | 2024–25 | Australian Gambling Statistics |
| Pokies losses in clubs and hotels | $17.44 billion | 2024–25 | Australian Gambling Statistics |
| Gaming machines (clubs, hotels and casinos) | 186,643 | 30 June 2025 | Australian Gambling Statistics |
| Adults who gambled in the past 12 months | 65.1% | 2024 | AIFS |
| Adults at some risk of gambling harm | 15% | 2024 | AIFS |
| Adults at high risk of gambling harm | 2.6% | 2024 | AIFS |
How much Australians lose on gambling
Australian Gambling Statistics, the 41st edition, is compiled by the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office from figures the states and territories report. Its word for money lost is ‘expenditure’, and it defines that as the amount wagered less the amount won. That is also the gross profit of the operators. In 2024–25 the total was $32,998.975 million, or $33.0 billion.
The year before, the total was $32,130.5 million. That is a nominal rise of 2.7%. The national total carries a flag for incomplete data from Victoria and the Northern Territory, so the safest reading is ‘at least $33.0 billion’ on the figures the states reported.
Turnover is a different number. Australians wagered $283.55 billion in 2024–25, but the publication states that turnover does not represent player losses. The same money is bet, won and bet again. Quoting turnover as ‘spent’ overstates losses many times over.
A record in dollars is not always a record in value. In 2024–25 dollars, losses were $33,569.7 million in 2022–23, $32,907.6 million in 2023–24 and $32,999.0 million in 2024–25. After inflation the latest year sits about 1.7% below 2022–23. Losses took up 1.92% of household disposable income in 2024–25, down from 2.07% in 2022–23.
Longer comparisons need care. The statistics note a significant break in the Northern Territory wagering series in 2019–20, and the COVID years from 2020 to 2022 distort what came before. This guide compares only 2022–23 with 2024–25.
What $1,528 per adult means
The per capita figure for 2024–25 is $1,527.88. It divides total losses by the average estimated resident population aged 18 or over, which was 21.598 million. The result is an average across every adult, including the many who do not gamble. It also includes money spent by interstate and overseas visitors.
The average therefore says little about any one person. Adults who gamble regularly lose more than $1,528 a year on average, because the same total is shared among fewer people. This guide does not calculate a loss per player, since that would mix figures from different sources and years.
The number may look familiar. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) gave about $1,527 for 2022–23, based on an earlier edition of the statistics. The 41st edition puts 2022–23 at $1,526.42. Losses and the adult population grew at almost the same rate over the two years, so the nominal amount barely moved. Two near-identical numbers for different years are a coincidence, not an error.
In real terms the picture differs. Per adult, losses fell from $1,628.41 in 2022–23 to $1,555.61 in 2023–24 and $1,527.88 in 2024–25, measured in 2024–25 dollars. That is a drop of about 6% in two years.
Where the money goes: pokies, betting, casinos and lotteries
Pokies in clubs and hotels take the largest share of losses by a wide margin. The table shows 2024–25 losses by product, with the change on 2023–24 in current dollars.
| Product | Losses ($ million) | Share of total | Change on 2023–24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming machines (pokies in clubs and hotels) | 17,444.0 | 52.9% | +7.1% |
| Wagering (sport and racing) | 8,453.5 | 25.6% | +0.9% |
| Casinos | 3,370.5 | 10.2% | −2.7% |
| Lotteries | 3,193.9 | 9.7% | −8.1% |
| Keno | 482.8 | 1.5% | +2.9% |
| Minor gaming (Western Australia only) | 54.2 | 0.2% | — |
| Total | 32,999.0 | 100% | +2.7% |
One detail changes how the first row reads. The gaming machines line excludes machines inside casinos, which are counted in the casino line. Pokies are therefore worth more than 52.9% of the total, but the official statistics do not give the combined figure.
Wagering is the term the statistics use for legal betting on sport and racing. Online bets with licensed providers sit inside that row, though the publication does not separate them out.
Pokies losses in clubs and hotels
Pokies losses in clubs and hotels reached $17.44 billion in 2024–25. That is $807.67 for every adult. Adjusted for inflation, it is 4.5% more than in 2023–24 and 3.7% more than in 2022–23.
At 30 June 2025 there were 186,643 gaming machines in Australia. Clubs held 104,455, hotels 69,046 and casinos 13,142. That works out at roughly one machine for every 116 adults.
New South Wales dominates the count. It had 89,430 machines, or 47.9% of the national total. Clubs and hotels there lost $9,059.1 million, or 51.9% of the national figure for pokies outside casinos.
Western Australia is the exception. Every other jurisdiction runs a statewide network of machines in clubs and hotels, but WA has none outside its casino, which holds 2,033. That is one reason WA’s per-adult figure looks low in the state table below.
The publication also notes that in most jurisdictions operators must return at least 85% of wagers to players as winnings. The rule applies over the lifetime of a machine. It does not describe what happens in a single session.
Losses by state and territory
The table lists 2024–25 losses by jurisdiction.
| State or territory | Losses ($ million) | Per adult ($) | Change on 2023–24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 13,713.3 | 2,035.09 | +3.7% |
| Victoria | 7,383.1 | 1,331.65 | −0.1% |
| Queensland | 6,837.1 | 1,554.71 | +4.7% |
| Western Australia | 2,071.3 | 879.09 | +1.4% |
| South Australia | 1,840.3 | 1,215.79 | +3.1% |
| Tasmania | 413.6 | 895.23 | +1.2% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 367.4 | 961.91 | −5.4% |
| Northern Territory | 372.9 | 1,869.07 | +3.3% |
| Australia | 32,999.0 | 1,527.88 | +2.7% |
New South Wales accounts for 41.6% of the national total. The publication warns that each jurisdiction has its own systems and reporting methods, so care is needed when comparing data between them. For that reason this guide does not rank the states. The table is for reference only.
What the figures count and what they leave out
The statistics cover legalised, regulated gambling only. Offshore websites that do not hold an Australian licence are outside them, and so is any money lost there. The statistics are a measure of the licensed market, not of everything Australians gamble on.
Online casinos are a good example. The publication records no figure for interactive gaming in 2024–25. Online casino services are banned under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Licensed online sports and racing bets are counted, but inside the wagering row. What is licensed in Australia and how to check explains which services fall on which side of that line.
One estimate covers online gambling as a whole. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) cites an industry estimate, from H2 Gambling Capital, that Australians spent $12.45 billion on online gambling in calendar year 2024. According to that estimate 70% went on wagering and 20% on online casinos, with the rest on lotteries and other forms. It comes from a private firm and covers a different period, so it cannot be added to the official total.
Who gambles and who is at risk of gambling harm
The National Gambling Prevalence Study Pilot, published by the AIFS on 24 September 2025, surveyed 3,881 adults between August and October 2024 using a probability sample. It found that 65.1% had taken part in at least one form of gambling in the past 12 months. Gambling at least monthly was reported by 31.9% of adults, including 35.9% of men and 28.3% of women.
| Form of gambling | Adults who took part in the past 12 months |
|---|---|
| Lotteries | 52.7% |
| Instant scratch tickets | 24.5% |
| Poker machines | 19.8% |
| Race betting | 17.8% |
| Sports betting | 12.5% |
The same study used the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), a screening questionnaire. It is not a diagnosis. It sorts adults into low, moderate and high risk of gambling harm, and 15% of adults fell into one of the three. The AIFS puts that at about 3.1 million adults and describes them as people who experienced harms, such as feeling guilty or stressed about their gambling.
| Risk of gambling harm (PGSI), 2024 | All adults | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low risk | 7.6% | 9.4% | 5.9% |
| Moderate risk | 4.8% | 5.2% | 4.5% |
| High risk | 2.6% | 3.5% | 1.8% |
Risk is not spread evenly. Among adults who gamble at least monthly, 33.8% were at some risk. The AIFS also reports that 18% of 18 to 24-year-olds who gamble regularly were at high risk, against 10% of regular gamblers aged 35 to 44.
If any of these figures describe your own situation, the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 offers free and confidential support, and Gambling Help Online has chat and email counselling. More options are set out in tools, limits and where to get help with gambling harm.
Harm also reaches people who do not gamble. The AIHW reports that 6.0% of Australian adults said they had been harmed by someone else’s gambling, most often a family member, friend or colleague. That figure comes from the National Telephone Survey in the 2019 Interactive Gambling Study. For practical steps, see how to help someone experiencing gambling harm.
Why the numbers differ between studies
Three sources, three methods. Australian Gambling Statistics adds up administrative data from state and territory regulators. The AIFS pilot asked a probability sample of adults in 2024. The AIHW reports risk from the HILDA survey, a long-running household panel, for 2022.
The AIHW puts risk in 2022 at 4.9% low, 3.1% moderate and 1.8% high. Those figures look lower than the AIFS shares for 2024, but they should not be subtracted from each other. The AIHW states that findings from its different data sources are not directly comparable. Different questionnaires, years and sampling methods produce different results.
The AIFS itself compares its pilot with the 2019 Interactive Gambling Study. It reports that participation rose from 56.9% to 65.1% and that the share at some risk rose from 10.9% to 15%. Treat that as a statement by the AIFS about two different studies, not as a trend this guide has calculated.
The practical rule is simple. Quote each figure with its year and source, and do not set a number from one study against a number from another.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Australians lose on gambling each year?
Australians lost $33.0 billion on legal gambling in 2024–25, according to Australian Gambling Statistics. Losses are the amount wagered less the amount won. The national total is flagged as incomplete because Victoria and the Northern Territory did not supply full data, so the true figure may be higher.
How much does the average Australian adult lose on gambling?
About $1,528 in 2024–25, according to the same publication. That is total losses divided by all adults aged 18 or over, including people who never gamble. The average for people who gamble regularly is higher, but the official statistics do not give a figure for them.
How much do Australians lose on pokies?
Pokies in clubs and hotels took $17.44 billion in 2024–25, or $807.67 per adult and 52.9% of all losses. Machines in casinos are counted under casinos, so the full figure for pokies is higher. The official statistics do not publish it separately.
Which state loses the most on gambling?
New South Wales recorded the largest total, $13,713.3 million, and the highest loss per adult, $2,035.09, in 2024–25. Each jurisdiction reports differently, and Western Australia has no pokies outside its casino. The publication warns against direct comparisons between states.
How many Australians gamble?
The AIFS found that 65.1% of adults took part in at least one form of gambling in the 12 months to October 2024. Most of that is lotteries, which 52.7% played. About 31.9% of adults gamble at least monthly, according to the same 2024 study.
How many Australians are at risk of gambling harm?
The AIFS estimates that 15% of adults, about 3.1 million people, were at low, moderate or high risk of gambling harm in 2024. Overall, 2.6% of adults were at high risk. The measure is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis.
Do the official statistics include online casinos and offshore websites?
No. Australian Gambling Statistics covers legalised, regulated gambling only. Online casino services are banned under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and offshore websites sit outside the licensed market. The ACMA cites a private estimate of $12.45 billion for all online gambling in 2024, which cannot be added to the official total.
Do the official gambling statistics for Australia show that gambling is increasing?
In dollars, yes: 2024–25 is the highest year in the series. After inflation, total losses are about 1.7% below 2022–23, and losses per adult are about 6% lower. For risk, only the AIFS reports a rise since 2019, and it compares two different studies.
What to do if these figures sound familiar
Statistics describe groups, not individuals. A person who recognises their own situation in these figures does not need to wait for things to get worse. The National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 is free and confidential, and Gambling Help Online offers chat and email counselling to people affected by gambling, including family and friends.
Sources
All sources accessed on 5 October 2026. Australian Gambling Statistics is cited as: Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, Queensland Treasury, Australian Gambling Statistics, 41st edition, 1999–00 to 2024–25 (CC BY 4.0).
- Queensland Government Statistician’s Office: Australian Gambling Statistics
- Australian Gambling Statistics, 41st edition: summary tables 2024–25
- Australian Gambling Statistics, 41st edition: explanatory notes
- Australian Gambling Statistics, 41st edition: product tables
- Australian Gambling Statistics, 41st edition: state tables
- AIFS: National Gambling Prevalence Study Pilot 2024
- AIFS: national gambling study finds more Australians harmed amid rising participation
- AIHW: Gambling in Australia
- ACMA: AI and interactive gambling, April 2026
- Gambling Help Online