Introduction to Gambling in Australia

Discuss about the Socio-Economic Impacts Of Gambling In Australia.

Gambling is the placing of money or something of high value in an occurrence with an intention to winning great; it involves risking the valuable items in a bet to win big. It is always a 50/50 contest for it goes hand in hand with luck, its either you lose or win. It has addicted the world people for a very long time since the evolution of valuable items that were used as mediums for exchange. Being loved by many for it brings quick money it also has side effects on the social and economic livelihood of people. In this research, I will discuss the socio-economic impacts of gambling in Australia.

The purpose of this study is to find out whether there should be an introduction to education program to gamblers in Australia on other positive-outcome ways they should invest their money and other valuable items used in the game other than indulging in this gambling activity that has no guarantee to making a profit on money put at stake.

The project involves putting up schools in Australia that will teach in investment ways and ways to avoid gambling easily. The project should take a period of 2-3 years to be complete and it should be put up in major areas where gambling has taken over. It should include all the necessary information that people will need in order to quit gambling and involve in the investment ways.

In the last two decades, the world has seen gambling overtake events in lives of people; they are easily lured in the type of sport due to the way sometimes it makes them earn big profits. It happens that when you got good luck you earn a lot of money and that brings about addiction in the game, thus, making it hard to quit (Layton & Worthington, 2015, p. 238). Many people love quick money, money not hardly earned and money easily deposited in their accounts, people love shortcuts to wealth and they can do whatever it takes to earn that plus they believe that earning quick money and getting rich quickly will earn them great respect which is fairly true. On the other hand, some few people have benefitted from this gambling activity but the majority of their wealth does not last long and mostly the money they earn is badly misused (Layton & Worthington, 2015, p. 242). The following are factors influencing gambling the region.

The Need for an Education Program for Gamblers

Young people aged 18-35 years tend to engage in gambling more than older people aged between 50-75 years. The reason behind this finding is that majority of the young people are prone to getting quick money and believe that they can get rich very quickly and through other shortened ways other than working hard for that (Delfabbro & Thrupp, 2014, p. 150). Being that young people often create a lot of free time that make them engage in this sport and also being that majority are able to multitask hence they can still work and gamble at the same time. As opposed to the elderly people who rarely find time to bet, they are mostly less energetic and very emotional hence a reduced number of them take part in gambling (Layton & Worthington, 2015, p. 154). In the event of loss elderly people always lose interest in the game very quickly than the younger ones who are always hoping that one day they will hit the jackpot and get rich.

This comes in as a way in which people get learned and reduce illiteracy. In gambling, a research has shown that the illiterate people tend to take part in gambling to earn free, easy money, since no institution can employ them or want their services hence, being desperate make them fall into the game (Marshall, 2013, p. 135). On the other hand, the learned people always spend so much time on their field of study and their career hence, they find less or no time to engage in gambling. Again, literate people have got access to educational materials on the side3 effects of gambling plus the benefits (Dickerson, M.G. , 2013, p. 104). They are wise to weigh the best path to take in gambling other than taking part in an activity they have no full or no information about.

The act of being involved in something essential to do daily and being busy throughout the year reduces the chances of taking part in gambling. The career people try to invest their future in many other profitable ways like investments and adding to their education level by going back to school hence they rarely find gambling time or extra cash to be used in gambling (McMillen & Doran, 2016, p. 340). The unemployed people are always free and the small amount they may get try to stake it in a bet to increase the amount in case they win. The unemployed spend so much time on betting for it is a bonus way to earn extra income. They tend to find and research on the various ways to do gambling, they realize the best paying and spend a lot of their time betting. The unemployed people are also desperate for where to get income hence gambling.

Impacts of Gambling on Society and the Economy

Research has shown that the biological way in which someone was born affects gambling life. Males are majorly the most affected in gambling for many activities put males in the frontline (Griffiths & Delfabbro, 2014, p. 215). By the belief that males are a superior gender as compared to females, they try out gambling and then show the females after the outcome, either positive or negative result. Again, many females in the region are controlled by their parents and their elder ones and are always shown the home chores that a lady is supposed to be doing other than bet. Females spend so much time with their families and rarely find time to gamble, the few that do gambling are the young aged and mostly single (Griffiths & Cesaro, 2013, p. 123). Females always find something to do just in case they find themselves idle, they help in home activities and other chores around the home or even go hang out with friends. This causes a reduced number of gambling for the females. The males put almost every income earning activity in front of everything they do; they may risk everything just for money.

Any use of something that affects your way of being, your way of thinking and your view of things probably results in gambling (Thomas , Lewis , McLeod , & Haycock, J, 2013, p. 260). People who abuse any substance to affect their thinking tend to take part in betting in order to earn extra cash to buy the substances. Sometimes the substance used may make the user believe that he can’t lose, he will always win, but that’s not the way gambling is, it’s about winning and losing. It’s not a guarantee that you will always win when you place a bet on anything. People who don’t use any substance are free to think and they cannot be easily lured into betting. Their way of thinking is independent and their decisions remain unchanged. They understand the positive and the negative side of gambling.

The influence of people of the same age to do something may result in gambling. This is witnessed mostly in the youths, the ones that bet try to influence the ones that don’t and mostly show them the positive side of the game (McMillen & Donnelly, 2014, p. 234). Again in a peer group where one has benefitted in gambling tends to make the others involved in the activity so that they may be equal. People of the same group mostly do something out of a single minds idea, very many people can follow a bad idea provided by the leaders in the peer group hence misleading the others and denying them, the right to free thinking.

Factors Influencing Gambling in the Region

Many people practice this activity so that they can pay their loans and other debts owed to outsiders or financial institutions. Majority become desperate upon having many big debts and the only amount of cash they have is enough to make a stake and risk winning big so that they can easily pay the debt (Auger , Cantinotti , & O’loughlin, 2015, p. 80). Others borrow money to do betting hoping that the amount will double or triple so that they can make profit from the borrowed amount. People who don’t have such loans hardly bet and rarely engage themselves in gambling activities in any way.

Another group of gamblers is those that bet due to a certain big loss or grief in the past. People may lose money in other ways and due to the annoyance; they tend to risk the remaining amount in gambling so that it can compensate the other loss. Many end up losing the gamble, for they were so emotional and anxious to win (Marshall & Baker, 2014, p. 78). Others bet due to the loss of a loved one just to free up their mind and try to forget. There being different types of betting, the person may stake a huge amount on a certain bet that lasts for only a few minutes so that he can get a large amount of money to be used in other ways such as drinking alcohol to forget the whole thing (Gill , Dal Grande , & Taylor, 2014, p. 40).

Being free from doing something else brings in the factor of availability in gambling. This is mostly experienced by the students, the unemployed and the housewives. After lessons, the students are very free to engage in gambling hence this motivates them so much (Gill , Dal Grande , & Taylor, 2014, p. 45). The unemployed again have got so much free time to do betting, they got time to analyze the bets and time to place the bets. People who are engaged in their work, their families and others their studies do not have so much time on gambling hence are unavailable for betting.

Those people that are preoccupied with gambling always spend their time betting. They see nothing else other than gambling (Lucille & Mcmahon, 2016, p. 56). They have made their mind believe nothing else other than gambling, all they sing, write and act is betting. People with independent minds cannot be obsessed with a gambling game; they spend their time trying to find out ways to succeed in life.

In the recent past, gambling has advanced and different types of gambling are evolving. This is mostly done and displayed in the social media, the television, the radio, newspapers and even the web (Worthington, 2014, p. 56). The generation we are living in has access to all these media adverts and hence it tends to make people indulge in the various betting types. Almost everyone owns a mobile phone or a television at home, or comes a newspaper a day hence gambling knowledge is conveyed easily to different target groups over a very short while. People who lack that type of information update rarely bet because they have less or no information about gambling.

Many gambling companies have come up with the idea of either doubling the first initial deposit amount or providing with free bets upon making first deposits. Other companies give free bonus amount on registration and others on the first deposit made hence this make many people try gambling ( McMillen, Catherine , & Vince, 2015, p. 56). The bonus amount gives much hope hence they pass the information to their friends. The people who lack such crucial information on a betting company lack interest in gambling hence they rarely or don’t bet.

The following are the socio-economic impacts on the livelihood of Australian gamblers

In Australia, financial problems due betting by spouses has led to divorce and many relationship breakdowns. Financial stress caused in families affects children, fathers, and mothers in a relationship. Spouses who engage in gambling tend to fall into arguments and lies. They always make excuses to benefit their betting options, they try hard to continue with gambling hence their counterparts do not take this for long and they mostly end up breaking up. These arguments and lies cause untrustworthy in a relationship and hence they end up breaking up. Spouses do not take part in their home building projects for gambling takes almost all their time and money. It is estimated that 1500 divorces occur annually in the country due to irresponsible gambling. The people who don’t take part in gambling do not always experience this divorce problem.

Increased Crime

People who engage in gambling find themselves on the crime side in Australia. This mostly happens when the gambler lacks money to do betting with hence they end up stealing from others so that they can get the betting amount (Wardle , Keily , Astbury , & Reith, 2014, p. 78). Another crime type is that a person who wins big in gambling is in a risk of being raided and the amount of a risk of being stolen. Research shows that idlers who take part in gambling end up being involved in crime, they try to avenge their loss in betting by stealing from others. They always think that by doing a crime will reduce their feeling of loss in a gamble, a research has shown that majority of people arrested in the country was through embezzlement or misappropriation of funds. The people who don’t take part in betting rarely involve in crime activities.

Job loss

Gamblers in Australia experience an increased job loss. This is mainly caused by lateness in work due to gambling, absence, alcoholism due to a loss of a bet or poor productivity at work. A loss in a bet may make a person be late for work due to a psychological problem, the same can happen in terms of low productivity due to late coming or absence from work. The employers tend to sack the gamblers for they spend much of their time betting other than taking part in the productivity of the company. Australians that do not take part in gambling do not easily lose their jobs due to the absence or late coming.

Depression

This is an advanced level of stress due to a loss in gambling. A person who continually experiences losses in gambling experiences stress and as it advances it results in depression. Depression has resulted in suicidal rise rates in the country (Storer , Abbott , & Stubbs, 2014, p. 145). People who stake high in a bet and end up losing tend to be the most affected by stress then depression after that suicide occurs. The problem has risen due to irresponsible gambling in people. Depression can also be as a result of job loss or divorce due to gambling. Australians who don’t take part in betting rarely experience depression or suicidal cases.

Financial problems

Research shows that gamblers in the country experience financial instability. This is mainly caused by staking high and at the same time losing the whole amount. This has also caused increased bankruptcy cases. Gamblers tend to withdraw the entire amount in their bank accounts hoping to multiply the amount in gambling (Dickson-Swift , James , & Kippen, 2015, p. 145). This effect may result in other negative impacts like crime and divorce. People who do not take part in gambling do not always suffer financial problems or bankruptcy.

Health problems

In a research, it is confirmed that many gamblers engage in alcoholism after either a loss or a big win. Upon losing in gambling, the person tends to indulge in so much drinking so that he can try to forget the whole incident of loss. On the other hand, gamblers also do alcoholism upon winning great; they take too much alcohol to thank themselves for the win (Auger , Cantinotti , & O’loughlin, 2015, p. 132). This alcoholism leads to health problems to many including memory loss and impaired judgment. People who don’t take part in irresponsible gambling do not mainly engage in alcoholism hence reduced or no alcohol-caused health problems.

Debts

Gamblers in the country have an increased debt rate. This is mainly caused by gamblers borrowing money in order to stake in a bet, in the event of a loss they tend to borrow again. This happens again and again until they find themselves in great debts (Delfabbro & Thrupp, 2014, p. 176). Research has shown that they are defaulters in debt payment and again they borrow from different sources hence they fill bad debts all over. Irresponsible gambling causes a rise in unpaid debts hence the people in Australia who do not practice gambling have a reduced debt rate.

Employment

A rise in gambling companies has seen a rise in employment opportunities for many. An investor provides employment to the Australian people around the betting company hence they benefit from the sport. An increase in these gambling companies has realized a rise in employment opportunities for the youth (Dickson-Swift , James , & Kippen, 2015, p. 187).

Tourism

Visit by other foreigners into Australia is partly affected by gambling. Other tourists visit the country to invest in the sport. This is an indirect benefit to the Australian residents through foreign investors (Dickson-Swift , James , & Kippen, 2015, p. 190).

Conclusion

The Australian government should put up schools to educate people on irresponsible gambling and provide them with alternative teaching on how and where to invest their cash. People should be taught on ways to avoid or tackle stress and depression in the event of a loss in gambling. Married couples should be taught on ways to avoid gambling to reduce the number of divorces annually.

Reference list

McMillen, N. K., Catherine , O., & Vince, M. (2015). Understanding gambling. Gambling cultures. Studies in history and interpretation, 13(4), 102-143.

Auger , N., Cantinotti , M., & O’loughlin. (2015). Impulsivity and socio?economic status interact to increase the risk of gambling onset among youth. Addiction, 2, 78-98.

Delfabbro , P., & Thrupp. (2014). The social determinants of youth gambling in South Australian adolescents. Journal of adolescence, 26(1), 134-156.

Dickerson, M.G. , M. G. (2013). The socioeconomic impact of gambling. The Whistler symposium, 23(1), 98-110.

Dickson-Swift , V. A., James , E. L., & Kippen, S. (2015). The experience of living with a problem gambler: Spouses and partners speak out. Journal of Gambling Issues, 17(3), 132-156.

Gill , T., Dal Grande , E., & Taylor, A. W. (2014). Factors associated with gamblers: A population-based cross-sectional study of South Australian adults. Journal of Gambling Studies, 7(3), 35-50.

Griffiths , M., & Delfabbro, M. (2014). The biopsychosocial approach to gambling. Contextual factors in research and clinical interventions, 23(2), 213-224.

Griffiths, M., & Cesaro, M. (2013). The biopsychosocial approach to gambling:.

Layton , A., & Worthington, A. (2015). The impact of socio-economic factors on gambling expenditure. International Journal of Social Economics, 12(2), 234-145.

Lucille, W., & Mcmahon, S. (2016). The gambling environment and gambler behaviour: Evidence from Richmond-Tweed, Australia. International Gambling Studies, 27(3), 50-65.

Marshall , D., & Baker, R. (2014). Unfair odds? Factors influencing the distribution of electronic gaming machines in Melbourne. Urban policy and research, 4(1), 56-89.

Marshall, D. C. (2013). Missing the jackpot? The proliferation of gambling in Australia and its effect on local communities. Geographical Research, 23(2), 345-370.

McMillen , J., & Doran, B. (2016). Problem gambling and gaming machine density:Socio-spatial analysis of three Victorian localities. International Gambling Studies, 6(3), 321-340.

McMillen , J., & Donnelly, K. (2014). Gambling in Australian Indigenous communities: The state of play. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 7(3), 243-258.

Storer , J., Abbott , M., & Stubbs, J. (2014). Access or adaptation? A meta-analysis of surveys of problem gambling prevalence in Australia and New Zealand with respect to concentration of electronic gaming machines. International Gambling Studies, 27(2), 167-190.

Thomas , S. L., Lewis , S., McLeod , C., & Haycock, J. (2013). They are working every angle’. A qualitative study of Australian adults’ attitudes towards, and interactions with, gambling industry marketing strategies. International Gambling Studies, 5, 254-278.

Wardle , H., Keily , R., Astbury , G., & Reith, G. (2014). Risky places?’: Mapping gambling machine density and socio-economic deprivation. Journal of Gambling Studies, 6, 71-88.

Worthington, A. C. (2014). Implicit finance in gambling expenditures: Australian evidence on socioeconomic and demographic tax incidence. Public Finance Review, 34(2), 45-78.