Prof: “We just don’t know” the effects
New research from the University of Adelaide says young men in the country are at greater risk to become compulsive gamblers. The report says Australia’s casinos are better equipped to respond to the problem and have the financial means to do so, but there have been few studies to measure the success of such efforts.
The report was commissioned by Gambling Research Australia. Researchers from the university-based Centre for Economic Studies looked at information from casino operators and patrons and also assessed various responsible gambling practices.
“Despite their unique place within the Australian gambling industry, until now there has been relatively little analysis of the nation’s 13 casinos, their practices and the gamblers who frequent their premises,” said the Associate Professor Michael O’Neil, executive director of SACES and lead author of the report.
The study indicated that people who frequent casinos are three times more likely than other punters to become problem gamblers, and young men are particularly vulnerable. It also found that table games attract more males under the age of 35 who are well-educated and have higher incomes. These men are also more likely to gamble in other ways, including online sports betting, reported News.com.au. Electronic gaming machines, meanwhile, are more likely to be used by older females.
In other data, the study reported that each table game earns an average revenue of $900,000 per year, and each electronic game at an Australian casino earns more than $128,000 per year, compared to $59,400 at pubs and clubs.
“Casinos are much better placed than local pubs and clubs to promote responsible gambling practices with their patrons and among staff,” said O’Neil. “Many casinos are required by law to restrict gambling activities in some way, such as offering self-exclusion programs, having a specified level of staff training and intervention, offering voluntary pre-commitment cards, enforcing betting limits, restricting access to credit, limits on withdrawals from ATMs, and so forth. A number have also initiated their own socially responsible practices, such as running information centers for patrons about counseling services available to them.”
However, he added, “Our research uncovered that there is little to no evidence available to indicate how effective these provisions are in casinos. … We just don’t know if it’s having any effect, either in preventing people from becoming problem gamblers, or helping to stop and potentially reverse such problem behavior.”
The report said regular casino patrons are three times more likely to become problem gamblers, with 10 percent considered at moderate risk.
