The social cost of gambling to Victoria

Gamblers experience a wide variety and varying degrees of gambling-related problems that impose significant costs not only to them but to their families, the community and society in general. A relatively large proportion of regular gamblers experience some mild to moderate harms, and a small minority experience very severe harms. Total gambling expenditure in Victoria in 2014-2015 was $5.8 billion, generating a total of $1.6 billion in taxes and levies. Gamblers are generally categorised in population surveys into four categories: recreational, low-risk (LR), moderate-risk (MR), and problem gambler (PG) categories based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI; Ferris & Wynne, 2001). Spend by non-recreational gamblers (PGSI 1+, i.e. those encountering some degree of problems) may account for up to 77% of total gambling revenue. All three categories of non-recreational gamblers; LR, MR, and PG, contribute substantially to the overall costs of gambling as revealed in this report.