3.3 Million Australians Face Gambling Harm, Study Finds

New research from Roy Morgan finds that 3.3 million Australians, about 15 percent of the population, are experiencing some form of gambling harm. The July 2026 study splits that figure into people harmed by their own gambling and people harmed by someone else's, and lands as Australia moves toward the strictest gambling advertising rules in its history from January 2027.

What did Roy Morgan's gambling harm research find?

Roy Morgan, which describes itself as Australia's largest independent research company, found that 3.3 million Australians, or 15 percent of the adult population, are experiencing some form of gambling harm. The research breaks that number down further: 13 percent of Australians, roughly 2.857 million people, report harm from their own gambling, while 5.4 percent, about 1.177 million people, report harm caused by someone else's gambling, such as a partner or family member.

How many Australians are affected by gambling harm?

The headline figure is 3.3 million people, but Roy Morgan's data shows the two harm categories overlap rather than simply add together, since some respondents report both harm from their own gambling and harm from a third party's gambling. Separately, 5.9 percent of Australian adults aged 18 and over told Roy Morgan they have felt regret about their own gambling.

What is the difference between harm from your own gambling and harm from someone else's?

Roy Morgan's methodology distinguishes between direct harm, where a person's own betting or gaming activity causes them financial or personal difficulty, and affected other harm, where a person is negatively impacted by a family member, partner or friend's gambling, without gambling themselves. The 13 percent versus 5.4 percent split shows that direct harm is more than twice as common as harm from someone else's gambling, though both groups run into the millions of people nationally.

What kinds of harm are Australians reporting?

According to Roy Morgan, the most commonly reported harms are financial. Respondents most often cited a reduction in available spending money and a reduction in savings, followed by cutting back on recreational spending. Beyond the financial toll, respondents also reported mental distress, shame and a sense of personal failure connected to gambling, along with reduced time spent with family and loved ones.

How does this compare to earlier Roy Morgan gambling data?

The July 2026 harm figures build on Roy Morgan's Problem Gambling Severity Index research from August 2025, which found more than 620,000 Australians classified as problem gamblers, with a majority of those under the age of 35. Read together, the two studies point to a consistent pattern in Roy Morgan's tracking: a large, multi million person population reporting gambling related harm, with a disproportionate share of the most severe cases concentrated in younger adults.

How does this compare to poker machine losses in New South Wales?

The harm figures line up with separate state level data on gambling losses. Liquor and Gaming New South Wales, the state's gambling regulator, reported that NSW residents lost an average of $245 per adult on poker machines in the third quarter of 2025 alone, a 9 percent increase on the same quarter the previous year. Losses were heavily concentrated in lower income local government areas, with Fairfield residents losing an average of roughly $1,211 per adult over the same three month period, according to LGNSW figures.

Metric	Figure	Source	Period
Australians experiencing gambling harm	3.3 million (15% of population)	Roy Morgan	July 2026
Harmed by own gambling	13% (2.857 million)	Roy Morgan	July 2026
Harmed by someone else's gambling	5.4% (1.177 million)	Roy Morgan	July 2026
Classified as problem gamblers	620,000 plus	Roy Morgan PGSI	August 2025
NSW average pokie loss per adult	$245 per quarter	Liquor and Gaming NSW	Q3 2025

What new gambling ad restrictions is Australia introducing?

The harm research lands as Australia prepares to roll out a new package of federal gambling advertising restrictions from January 2027. The rules, previously announced by the Albanese government, ban gambling ads during live sport broadcasts between 6am and 8:30pm, cap gambling ads outside live sport at three per hour on television, ban gambling branding on stadiums and player uniforms, prohibit celebrity endorsements in gambling ads, restrict radio ads during school drop off and pick up times, and limit online gambling advertising to logged in, age verified accounts.

What has the government said about the restrictions?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has framed the policy as a middle ground rather than a ban, saying the goal is "letting adults have a punt if they want to, but making sure our children don't see betting ads everywhere." The package also includes additional funding for gambling harm education and counseling services alongside stronger enforcement against illegal offshore operators.

What have gambling reform advocates said?

Tim Costello of the Alliance for Gambling Reform welcomed the tighter advertising limits, comparing the previous volume of gambling ads to cigarette advertising: "Imagine three cigarette ads per hour. Australian children deserve to grow up in a country that puts their wellbeing before corporate profits."

What has the gambling industry said in response?

Responsible Wagering Australia chief executive Kai Cantwell criticized the scope of the advertising package when it was announced, warning it sets a precedent for regulating other consumer categories: "Today it's gambling advertising, tomorrow it's alcohol, then it's sugary drinks, fast food." The industry body has argued for measures targeted more narrowly at problem gambling rather than blanket advertising limits.

Who is Roy Morgan and how reliable is this research?

Roy Morgan is a long established Australian market research firm that has tracked gambling behavior and attitudes for years, including the Problem Gambling Severity Index studies referenced above. Its gambling harm tracking is one of the most frequently cited independent data sources in the Australian gambling harm debate, alongside government commissioned research and state regulator data such as the LGNSW pokie loss figures.

What does this mean for Australian operators and advertisers?

For licensed Australian wagering operators, the combination of Roy Morgan's harm data and the incoming 2027 advertising limits signals that compliance costs and marketing constraints are set to rise further, with less room for high frequency, high visibility advertising around major sport. For land based venues in states like New South Wales, rising per adult pokie losses are likely to keep gambling harm and machine intensity, rather than just machine numbers, in regulatory focus.

What happens next?

The federal advertising restrictions are due to take effect in January 2027, giving broadcasters, venues and operators roughly six months from this research to prepare for compliance. Expect continued scrutiny of state level pokie loss data, further Roy Morgan tracking on harm prevalence, and ongoing lobbying from both gambling reform groups pushing for tighter rules and industry bodies such as Responsible Wagering Australia arguing the current package goes too far.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Australians experience gambling harm?

Roy Morgan's July 2026 research found 3.3 million Australians, about 15 percent of the population, experiencing some form of gambling harm, either from their own gambling or from someone else's.

When do Australia's new gambling ad restrictions take effect?

The federal government's gambling advertising restrictions, including limits during live sport and a cap of three ads per hour outside live sport, are due to take effect in January 2027.

Who conducted the gambling harm research?

The research was conducted by Roy Morgan, an independent Australian market research company, and published in July 2026.

How much are New South Wales residents losing on poker machines?

According to Liquor and Gaming New South Wales, NSW residents lost an average of $245 per adult on poker machines in the third quarter of 2025, a 9 percent increase on the same period the previous year.

Updated July 2026.