Inferring from the data gathered for the past 34 years and published yearly by the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, Australians bet over $11,000 per person (considering the whole adult population), making them the largest betting country in the world.

Victoria makes up a significant number of gamblers in Australia, but today fewer Victorians are gambling as compared to a decade ago. However, the existence of problem gambling remains thriving.

According to a 2018 survey, more than half of the Victorian adult population (82.2 percent) were non-problem gamers out of the 70.1% of Victorians who gamble. This means that almost one in five Victorians (around 550,000) who gamble may be experiencing harm from it.

But what exactly is the problem of gambling?

Gambling harm, or problem gambling, is any negative consequence or side effect that comes from gambling (Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, 2020). This can range from as small as feelings of regret to more serious effects like bankruptcy. A person can experience gambling harm because of their own gambling activities or even someone else’s. Meaning to say, you can also have a problem gambling even if you do not directly engage with gambling. In fact, 70% of gambling harm in Victoria is experienced by people whose gambling is not classified as problem gambling, as studies reveal.

A 2017 paper by International Gambling Studies reports that one problem gambler affects six others, and more than a million people in Victoria are potentially harmed by someone else’s betting activities. This makes gambling harm a common occurrence in many Victorian’s social circles. A recent analysis reveals that risky gamblers usually have close relationships with others in the same situations. This result demonstrates that not only gambling is normalized in these conditions, but also gambling harm.

Additionally, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s research on the social cost of gambling to Victoria was $7 billion in 2015 alone. This amount was categorized as financial, emotional, and psychological, relationships, legal crime, job impacts, and expenses of the Victorian government.

All the researches mentioned emphasize the importance of raising awareness to prevent harm from gambling, and of addressing gambling harm from different levels of risk.

So, you might be wondering if it is dangerous to partake in gambling activities in Victoria.

The answer is that it depends.

One way to avoid a gambling problem is moderation. If you know your limitations as a gambler and act accordingly with discipline, then you will have no problems related to addiction in betting, also it will help if you know the right way to gamble. Before engaging in any gambling activity, it is important to research and be knowledgeable of some basic rules and guidelines. For information on AFL betting, you can visit AFL betting guide. Researching also involves finding the right international bookmaker whom you can trust. GGBET Australia Review provides readers with insights on a legitimate bookmaker which you can really trust to avoid being scammed and having gambling problems in general.