What Australians lose on gambling
This is the money Australians lost on gambling after taking away what they won back. It covers every kind of gambling in every state, and how it's changed over the years.
Lost in 2024–25
At least $33.0 billion
That's $90 million every day, or $1,528 for every adult in Australia. After inflation, it's 23% more than in 1999–00.
What people lose it on
More than half of everything Australians lose goes into pokies.
Lotto and other lotteries took $3.2 billion on their own. That's about $148 per adult. See how unlikely a jackpot really is.
State by state, per adult
| State | Lost in 2024–25 | Per adult |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $13.7 billion | $2,035 |
| Northern Territory* | $373 million | $1,869 |
| Queensland | $6.8 billion | $1,555 |
| Victoria* | $7.4 billion | $1,332 |
| South Australia | $1.8 billion | $1,216 |
| ACT | $367 million | $962 |
| Tasmania | $414 million | $895 |
| Western Australia | $2.1 billion | $879 |
* Some of this state's figures are incomplete, so its real losses are higher. See pokies losses council by council in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
How losses have grown
Even after counting inflation, betting losses have more than doubled.
Show as a table
| Year | All gambling | Pokies | Betting | Lotteries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | $26.9B | $15.5B | $3.6B | $2.6B |
| 2000–01 | $27.4B | $15.9B | $3.5B | $2.7B |
| 2001–02 | $27.8B | $16.5B | $3.6B | $2.7B |
| 2002–03 | $27.8B | $16.3B | $3.7B | $2.8B |
| 2003–04 | $28.5B | $16.8B | $3.8B | $2.8B |
| 2004–05 | $29.0B | $17.3B | $4.0B | $2.8B |
| 2005–06 | $29.3B | $17.3B | $3.9B | $2.8B |
| 2006–07 | $29.4B | $17.1B | $4.2B | $2.8B |
| 2007–08 | $28.3B | $15.9B | $4.0B | $2.9B |
| 2008–09 | $28.8B | $15.9B | $4.3B | $3.0B |
| 2009–10 | $27.3B | $15.1B | $4.4B | $2.2B |
| 2010–11 | $27.9B | $15.2B | $4.3B | $2.5B |
| 2011–12 | $28.8B | $15.3B | $4.6B | $2.8B |
| 2012–13 | $28.5B | $14.9B | $4.6B | $3.0B |
| 2013–14 | $28.4B | $14.8B | $4.7B | $2.6B |
| 2014–15 | $30.1B | $15.2B | $5.0B | $2.6B |
| 2015–16 | $30.8B | $15.6B | $5.2B | $2.8B |
| 2016–17 | $30.2B | $15.5B | $5.6B | $2.6B |
| 2017–18 | $31.3B | $15.6B | $6.2B | $2.6B |
| 2018–19 | $31.4B | $15.6B | $6.2B | $3.2B |
| 2019–20 | $25.8B | $12.4B | $5.6B | $3.2B |
| 2020–21 | $28.7B | $14.5B | $6.9B | $3.4B |
| 2021–22 | $31.5B | $14.7B | $9.4B | $3.6B |
| 2022–23 | $33.6B | $16.8B | $9.0B | $3.3B |
| 2023–24 | $32.9B | $16.7B | $8.6B | $3.6B |
| 2024–25 | $33.0B | $17.4B | $8.5B | $3.2B |
Billions of dollars a year, adjusted to 2024–25 prices with the Consumer Price Index. Early years and the latest year include some incomplete state figures.
What else that money could do
Picture the average adult's $1,528 a year going into savings, a bit each week. After 10 years it would be $18,778, at an example 4% interest.
So what's your number? The spend check adds up a normal week in about a minute.
About these figures
Losses are what was bet, take away what was won. The source calls this "expenditure". The figures run by financial year, up to 2024–25. Per-adult figures divide by everyone aged 18 and over, whether they gamble or not, so people who do gamble lose much more than this on average. Online casino-style gambling is illegal to offer in Australia, so it isn't counted.
Source: Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Queensland Treasury, Australian Gambling Statistics, CC BY 4.0, edition 41.
If gambling is causing problems for you or someone you know, free and confidential help is there 24/7 from Gambling Help Online or on 1800 858 858. Here's how to spot the signs, and how gambling is built to keep you spending.