The link between gambling and happiness

The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index is used Australia wide to measure people’s overall wellbeing. It includes asking people to reflect on how happy they feel, do they feel part of the community and how satisfied they are in their personal relationships.

Noticeably people who gamble much more than once a week have much lower wellbeing scores than the general population.

The reality is that the more often you gamble, the greater the risk of developing an issue and experiencing harmful effects from gambling.

Around 3 in 10 of people who bet on racing once a week or more have an issue with gambling or are at moderate risk of developing one

Around 1 in 2 people who gamble on pokies once a week or more have an issue with gambling or are at moderate risk of developing one

Around 1 in 3 of people who bet on sport once a week or more have an issue with gambling or are at moderate risk of developing one