New research reveals young women are now gambling at the same rate as young men, challenging traditional perceptions of betting culture. Experts warn that targeted marketing and easy online access are contributing to the rise, calling for stronger protections to prevent long-term harm.
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00:00Ella McIntosh may seem like a regular university student, but behind her medical books, she
00:08struggles with the impact of gambling.
00:10I was shocked that it had got to that point.
00:12I don't think I had cognitively realised how bad it had become.
00:17What started as a way to decompress after a long day studying, became a $20,000 debt.
00:23She didn't know where to turn for help.
00:26We don't really talk about women gambling, so I felt really ashamed of it because I felt
00:31like I was really abnormal and there was something wrong with me.
00:34Ella's story is not that rare, according to data from the Australian Institute of Family
00:39Studies.
00:40It found 55% of women aged 18 to 34 who gambled were classified as being at risk of gambling
00:47harm.
00:48And researchers have found gambling participation rates for women are about the same as men,
00:53with one in two women gambling at least once a year.
00:57Gambling is becoming a more normal and regular part of younger women's lives than we've seen
01:02in previous generations, which is really concerning.
01:06Researchers say sports betting companies are targeting women at rates never seen before.
01:10We've started to see these novelty bets that are focused on markets that women might be
01:13interested in, for example about how many Grammy awards Taylor Swift will win.
01:18It's been almost two years since a major report into gambling harm was handed down, making
01:2231 recommendations to overhaul the industry, including a ban on online gambling advertising
01:28within three years.
01:29The federal government says it's still working through the report's recommendations, but
01:33gambling reform advocates say it's not happening fast enough.
01:37Kate Seselja struggled with gambling harm for more than a decade.
01:41She's dedicated her life to reform.
01:43There is no excuse for not taking action to protect Australia's wellbeing.
01:49She says more preventative support would make a difference.
01:53If I understood when I was 18 what I know now, there's no way that I would have experienced
02:01the harm that I did for as long as I did.
02:04We need to step up and we need to make that change.
02:06A change advocates hope will come sooner rather than later.