A recent study from the University of London has found that gambling research tends to be biased in favour of gaming operators. According to Australian professors Charles Livingstone, Francis Markham and Martin Young [http://theconversation.com/he-who-pays-the-piper-calls-the-tune-gambling-with-research-25986], the same is true in the Australian gambling market.

Unfortunately, things are not very different here, as research findings are heavily influences by leaders in the local gambling market. There are two major ways in which gambling research is biased. Firstly, organisations that fund the research have a significant influence on the way research is carried out.

They can dictate which questions are asked and how evidence is compiled. Also, gambling firms are able to withhold information about their operations. Regulators control this data, and are not keen to release it to researchers. The Australian Gambling Research Centre was established to meet the demand for independent research on the industry.

Much of the research performed at the centre is commissions by state governments, who rely heavily on profits generated by gambling operations to fund various public programs and services. “An average of around 10% of own-state revenue comes from various gambling taxes. Both NSW and Victoria derive well over A$1.5 billion a year from gambling taxes,” reads the report from Young, Livingstone and Markham.

“The whole Australian political economy is inextricably bound up with commercial gambling”. It is interesting to note that a significant number of government-commissioned gambling research projects are funded by a poker machine levy, which is derived from losses. As such, gambling research budgets depend entirely on the number of gamblers and how much they are spending on poker machines.

“Why reduce problem gambling when it is paying your salary?” they ask. In the future, it is hoped that the issue will be rectified. Associations like the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council allow for independent and unbiased research which provides more accurate findings about gambling operations in Australia.

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.