{"id":730,"date":"2020-05-12T05:10:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T19:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uberpokies.org\/?p=730"},"modified":"2020-05-16T05:14:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T19:14:33","slug":"australian-gambling-on-the-rise-during-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uberpokies.org\/australian-gambling-on-the-rise-during-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian gambling on the rise during Coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"
Gambling is a very popular pastime in Australia with the average household wagering more money annually than anywhere else in the world. \u00a0The Coronavirus pandemic has accelerated this trend, with online gambling revenue skyrocketing in the last month.<\/p>\n
Fresh from the trauma of wildfires that recently swept the country, the pandemic has put even more pressure on the collective Australian psyche and many are looking for an escape. \u00a0With access to local pubs and casinos cut off by the national lockdown, online gambling\u2019s popularity has exploded with a projected $15 billion expected to migrate to internet sites, a significant percentage of which are unregulated or even prohibited by the government.<\/p>\n
Gambling expenditure through the roof<\/strong><\/p>\n The Sydney Morning Herald published the following data, which shows a breakdown of which sectors have shown growth and which have faltered during COVID-19. The data was sourced from transactions from about 250,000 Australians for the period ranging from March 30th\u00a0to April 5th.<\/p>\n Overall spending is down approximately 5% from the same period in previous years, but this is a marked improvement from the previous week where spending was down 13% from the average. The reason for this improvement likely originates from a helping hand from the government.<\/p>\n Government payments<\/strong><\/p>\n The Australian government recently dished out a one-time A$750 payment to social security recipients and pensioners, a move designed to boost consumer spending. The approach was a success in some respects, but a large percentage of the money has gone towards pokies as opposed to essentials.<\/p>\n\n