Today the Government has released Part B of the Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania.
Part A, released in March this year, provided an update of key trends and comparisons with other states and territories, the results of a gambling prevalence study and an update of the social and economic impacts of gambling in selected local government areas.
Part B uses a long-term approach to track responses from individuals over time.
The findings of Part B will inform a review of the Mandatory Code, which is due to be completed by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission in 2017.
Overall, the Study tells us that participation in gambling by Tasmanian adults is falling, and that Tasmanians are more likely than other Australians not to gamble at all.
It shows that gambling on pokies has consistently fallen from 2008, down from 28.5 per cent in that year, to 20.7 per cent in 2011 and 18.6 per cent in 2013 a reduction in participation over the period of around 35%.
More broadly, participation in gambling on horse and greyhound racing, instant scratchies and on lotteries are all trending down, while participation in Keno has returned to the level observed in 2008.
In relation to problem gambling, the study found that the rate of problem gambling in Tasmania has fallen by over 25 per cent, with problem gamblers estimated to now represent around 0.5 per cent of the adult population, or around 1900 people in total.
The Study shows that real per capita spending on gambling in Tasmania is the second lowest across the States and has been consistently below the national average.
The Study shows that Tasmania has less pokies per adult than the Australian average.
The Study also found that:
• The proportion of non-problem gamblers was stable across time – non-problem gamblers did not trend towards higher levels of gambling over time.
• By contrast, almost half of moderate risk gamblers and low risk gamblers transitioned to non-problem gamblers.
• Gambling spend showed relative stability over time for all gamblers – low spend gamblers tended to remain low spending and similarly, medium and high spending gamblers tended to remain medium/high spenders.
An important aspect of the Study was to examine the effectiveness of harm minimisation measures.
The Study found that a significant proportion of at-risk gamblers and most other gamblers reported decreased expenditure as a result of harm minimisation measures.
While there is a robust regulatory environment for the traditional forms of gambling in Tasmania, we can’t lose sight of the rise in unregulated internet-based gambling.
Illegal offshore gambling operators are able to target Australian customers while avoiding harm minimisation measures.
The Government has written to the Commonwealth’s Illegal Offshore Wagering Review, supporting the development of enforcement options for this aspect of the gambling sector.
Peter Gutwein, Treasurer
