Dr. Sally Gainsbury has recently written a report on emerging trends in the online gambling market. The paper, which was presented at the Reponsible Gambling Awareness Week Forum (May 2011), explores the current state of online gambling and where the industry is headed in the future.

According to her study, there are over 2300 online gambling websites available on the internet today. 32% of those websites are casino-based while 21% offer poker and 18% offer sports betting. Less popular betting websites include bingo, lottery and skill games sites.

Online gambling has yet to truly catch on. Gainsbury's report indicates that just 4% of Australians gamble online every year, but the trend is beginning to spread.

Sports wagering seems to be the fastest growing form of online betting in Australia so far. Tabcorp, for example, generated over $600 million in online betting revenues in 2009, marking an 18% increase from the year before. Should the trend continue, Tabcorp's online sportsbetting offerings will be generating billions in the near future.

As the popularity of online betting continues to grow and expand, many community groups across Australia are becoming concerned that gambling addiction will increase, as well. Dr. Gainsbury's research also takes this aspect into consideration in a section entitled 'The Relationship Between Internet Gambling and Problem Gambling'.

Despite many groups claiming that problem gambling increases in the online world, Gainsbury's research shows that the available of gambling is not to blame. 21% of internet gamblers admitted to having gambling addictions. 68% of that total stated that they had problems with addictions before being exposed to online gambling. This is just one of many studies that indicates online gambling is not a cause of gambling addictions; rather, that gambling problems are deep-rooted in other issues that cause general addiction.

Finally, the study went on to investigate the future of online gambling. Gainsbury believes that many changes are afoot in Australia's online gambling market, including the entrance of more land-based brands and more innovative software. She also believes that more emphasis will be placed on marketing, including social media, sponsorship and television.

All in all, Gainsbury believes that more research is required in order to obtain a concise look at the online gambling market in Australia. She recommends that the government, industry professionals and researchers work together to obtain this perspective.

Read more on Sally Gainsbury here.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.