Gambling disorders occur in roughly 0.5% of adults 8 and are comparable to substance-use disorders. 5Ĭlassified as a behavioural addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) 6 and a disorder due to addictive behaviours in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision, 7 a ‘gambling disorder’ is the result of specific behaviours that are rewarded and reinforced by repetition. 4 Australians spend more money per person gambling than any other country and around twice as much as other Western countries. 3 Gambling costs Australia $4.7 billion per year.
Gambling is popular in Australia, with 53% of adults in New South Wales (NSW) gambling at least annually 2 and 39% of Australians gambling monthly.
Gambling is defined as betting something of value on an event of uncertain outcome with the intent of winning something of value 1 (eg lotteries, poker machines, casino games, scratch cards, betting on sports/races, keno). “It is the child of avarice, the brother of inequity and father of mischief … it has been the ruin of many worthy families the loss of many a man’s honour and the cause of suicide.
