Roy Morgan study finds 3.32m Australian adults affected by gambling harm
2026-07-21
Source: Global Gaming Insider
New Roy Morgan data shows 3.32 million Australian adults—15.1% of the population—have experienced gambling-related harm, with financial consequences the most common, as the government advances advertising reforms.
New research from Roy Morgan indicates that 3.32 million Australian adults, or 15.1% of the adult population, have experienced gambling-related harm—either from their own play or that of a close associate. The data, collected under the Gambling Harm Index, measures financial, emotional, psychological and social consequences up to March 2026.
Of those affected, 2.86 million people (13% of adults) said their own gambling caused the harm. A separate cohort of 1.18 million (5.4%) reported negative impacts from another person's gambling, with some respondents falling into both groups.
Financial strain was the most common consequence. Nearly 7.8% of adults said gambling had reduced their disposable income, while 7.1% reported lower savings. A further 5.9% cut back on recreational spending. On the emotional side, around 6% of respondents cited regret or shame, 4.8% felt like a failure, and 4.5% experienced distress or spent less time with loved ones.
The index employs a 10-question screening tool developed by Central Queensland University. Its definition of harm goes beyond clinical gambling disorder to include milder repercussions affecting finances, relationships and well-being.
These figures align broadly with a 2025 study by the Australian Gambling Research Centre, which estimated 3.1 million adults experienced gambling-related harm in 2024 and noted rising participation and harm levels compared with 2019. That earlier research also flagged higher vulnerability among younger adults and strong links between severe gambling problems, financial stress and mental health difficulties.
The new data arrives as the Albanese Government pushes forward with gambling advertising reforms. Proposed measures target television ads, live sports promotions, online platforms, uniforms, sports venues and celebrity endorsements. Australia's total gambling losses hit A$31.5bn ($20.8bn) in 2022–23, the highest inflation-adjusted figure in two decades, according to national expenditure data.
The proposed reforms are less sweeping than the 2023 Murphy inquiry's call for a complete ban on all online gambling advertising phased in over three years, among 31 recommendations. The Government outlined its advertising plans last month as part of a long-awaited response to concerns about children's exposure to wagering promotions.