Big Boom for Online Gaming in Australia

The massive global growth of online gaming in recent years has truly reached the four corners of the globe.  A recent academic study found that there has been a surge in online gaming in Australia over the past six years and that the country as a whole now spends a huge $600 million on the industry.  It appears that the convenience of internet based gaming has been the largest factor behind this.  However, like many other countries, the Australian authorities face a significant challenge in regulating this ever-growing industry.

In the largest study yet of online gaming habits in Australia, 6,500 respondents participated in an online questionnaire, which revealed the patterns of their gaming activity.  Among the findings of the study, it revealed that online gamers were more likely to be male than female, are most probably married or living with a partner and are more likely to come from a higher-income home than those who bet in land-based venues.  Unsurprisingly, the study also described how those who bet online generally participate in a greater variety of games than non-web-based players. 

In fact, it appears that the flexibility and high degree of choice when it comes to online gaming is key to its popularity in Australia.  The most popular areas are sports betting, followed by casino games and poker.  All in all, the number of online sports betting accounts increased by 103 per cent between 2004 and 2008. 
Alex Blaszczynski, from the University of Sydney is one of the authors of the report and pointed out that the boom in online gaming can also be partially attributed to the recent growth in technological advancements.  Given the massive popularity in smart phones, iPads and tablet computers, online gaming is now more accessible than ever before, giving people direct access to the game or service of their choice.

Online sports betting is permitted in Australia, which is unsurprising given the country’s fanatical attachment to rugby, cricket and Aussie rules.  However, online poker and casino games are considered illegal in Australia, which makes the findings of this report all the more remarkable.  Australians can still legally access an estimated 2,000 gaming sites abroad and are clearly doing so at a huge rate.  All of which, brings about the question of regulation.  Given that so many Australians are already gaming online, the authorities are left with the question of how best to ensure that citizens are able to play responsibly, through some kind of industry regulation.  This is a dilemma far from confined to Australian legislators, with authorities in the United States and in many European countries also considering the same questions of amending the law in order to ensure responsible gaming.

What is clear is that online gaming has become enormously popular in Australia over recent years and there is every indication that its popularity will continue to grow.