Australian Wagering Levels Fall

2016-17 statistics show a decline of 0.5 percent

Australia’s traditionally betting-mad public appears to have slowed down, judging by figures from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, which show that total gambling expenditure fell 0.5 percent in the 2016/2017 year, with casino table games posting a 7.8 percent drop in the same period.

Total gambling turnover was A$23.69 billion, with casino expenditure dropping to A$4.79 billion but gaming machine wagers up 0.5 percent to A$12.13 billion.

Sports betting was the stellar performer, gaining 15.3 percent to A$1.06 billion, while the total spent on racing was A$3.31 billion, a gain of 6.9 percent.

Total gaming, which also includes lotteries and keno fell 2.4 percent.

In more recent quarters, Australia’s operators have reported rebounding revenue, with Crown Resorts posting a 54.4 percent surge in VIP revenue for the second quarter of this year.