It’s no secret that gambling is a major part of the Aussie culture. With over 80% of Australian adults participating in some form of gambling, it’s an intriguing facet of the culture. The roots of this passion for gambling starts back to Australia’s first European settlers. As they headed south across the continent, they brought their favourite traditions & games with them. Roulette & blackjack’s raging popularity in Europe paved the way for Australia’s first casino. Despite a flourishing industry, every year it becomes more clear that gambling is an addiction in Australia. So let’s find out Is the Australian Government Addicted to Gambling?
While the legality of gambling varies from different states & territories, no law could delete this cultural phenomenon. Depending on the local laws, the games have managed to adapt accordingly. There are over a dozen casinos across the continent, but this number is lesser than the sheer amount of pokies machines. Whether it be through land based pokies machines or online casinos, it always meets the players’ needs.
Gambling Contributing to Economy of Australia
Currently billions of dollars are generated by gambling across Australia. This gives the government jaw dropping amounts of cash, which promotes a generous view of gambling throughout the country. Even though these figures are staggering, each year the revenue continues to grow. The sky is the limit for this rebellious industry.
When searching for the answer to Australia’s secret romance with gambling, the numbers say it all. With billions of dollars at stake & millions of active players, this is a practice that will never go away. The statistics are so breathtaking that we had to cover it in an article. We compiled a list of some of the most shocking gambling stats from down under. Prepare to be blown away by this show stopping list!
Discover Why Australia is Addicted to Gambling
Fact #1: The Sheer Amount of Money
In 2009 alone Australian gambling revenue surpassed $19 billion. This generated $5 billion in taxes for the Australian government, which accounts for over 10% of the country’s total tax revenue. With 14% of all tax revenue directly tied to gambling, Victoria has the highest dependency out of all the states. Western Australia has the lowest dependency with 4%. This booming industry fuels the Australian government.
Fact #2: Online Gambling
Since online gambling is a fierce competitor for land-based casinos, it has been banned in Australia. Despite the government’s actions, online gambling is continuing to explode in popularity. Enticed by the increased variety of games, Aussies are resorting to offshore websites. In 2010 Australians spent over $800 million on online casinos, & this number is growing exponentially each year.
Fact #3: NSW vs Nevada
New South Wales is the only state that can start to compete with Sin City. It was the birthplace for Australia’s first official horse race, as well as the country’s first lottery in 1861. Ever since poker machines became legal in 1956, the amount of machines has exploded in this state. Over 95,800 of the country’s 198,300 pokies machines operate in NSW. This staggering number puts NSW in direct competition with the jaw dropping amount of machines in Nevada.
