The Centre for Gambling Research undertakes primary research in the following areas.
- Population health related to gambling harm
- Gambling harm in help-seeking populations
- Family violence and problem gambling
- Children of parents who gamble
- Gambling harm in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations
- Social, economic, and health factors associated with gambling harm.
Our current research projects are detailed below
Parental gambling and child wellbeing -stream
This program or research involves interlinked and separate ongoing and completed research studies, funded by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, the Norwegian Research Council, and Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.
Risky parental gambling and child wellbeing: evidence-base for policy and service coordination
Nearly 700,000 Australian children under 15 live in households where parents gamble at risky levels, placing them at increased risk of psychosocial harm. This project examines the long-term impacts of parental gambling on children’s health, wellbeing, and educational outcomes, while identifying key familial risk and protective factors. It addresses a critical gap in understanding how gambling harm affects children and how services can respond more effectively.
The study has two parts. First, it uses multicohort longitudinal analysis of national datasets, including the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), to examine relationships between parental gambling and child outcomes over time. Second, it involves interviews with ACT service providers across gambling support, child protection, and related sectors to identify family needs and workforce capabilities. Findings will inform more coordinated, evidence-based responses to gambling harm among families with children.
The project is funded by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.
Advancing KNOWledge on needs and effective support MEasures for children experiencing parental gambling problems (KNOWME).
This project generates new knowledge on the impacts of parental gambling on children and families, addressing a major gap in research and service responses. Parental gambling can contribute to emotional strain, financial hardship, relationship conflict, and broader harms to children’s development and wellbeing, yet few tools exist to identify and support affected families.
Using a child-focused, co-creative approach, the study explores children’s needs across age groups and examines the social determinants shaping their mental health, wellbeing, and social outcomes. It combines evidence synthesis, qualitative research, and population-based analysis to build a comprehensive understanding of harm.
The project will develop and test evidence-informed tools—including conversation templates and mapping instruments—for use in mental health and welfare services. Co-designed with young people themselves, parents and service providers, these tools aim to strengthen assessment, support positive parenting, and improve service responses, helping bridge the gap between research, policy, and practice.
This project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council
Gambling harm experienced by children of parents who gamble
This project examined the impacts of parental gambling on children, addressing a significant gap in evidence about how harm is experienced and sustained over time. Using surveys and interviews with adults reflecting on their childhoods, and parents experiencing gambling harm, the study explored how parental gambling affected different domains of child wellbeing and how these experiences shaped outcomes later in life.
Findings showed clear differences in perceptions of harm: parents tended to emphasise financial impacts, while children reported higher levels of psychosocial harm, including emotional distress and family conflict. Exposure to parental gambling in childhood was associated with poorer adult mental health outcomes, particularly where children experienced abuse or child welfare involvement.
Interestingly, higher parental gambling severity was linked to lower gambling risk among some offspring, suggesting potential deterrent effects. Overall, the study highlighted the need for more consistent assessment approaches and improved coordination across family and welfare services.
The project was funded by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
Study publication:
Gambling harm experienced by children of parents who gamble
Other publications:
“It’s like you’re not even there…”: Gambling harm experienced by children of gambling parents
Gambling Harm Experienced by Children Exposed to Parental Gambling: An Online Survey of Australians
Parental problem gambling and child wellbeing: Systematic review and synthesis of evidence
A systematic review on how parental problem gambling affects children’s well-being
FairPlay: Digital hub & public health strategy and resources to prevent gambling harm in young people
FairPlay is a co-designed digital hub developed by the Australian National University and the Youth Coalition of the ACT to prevent gambling harm among young people. Created with young people, parents, and community stakeholders, the project addresses a critical gap in accessible, age-appropriate resources in the context of rapidly growing online gambling and gaming-related risks including gambling features on video games that children play.
Based on the most recent research evidence, through participatory co-design, the project identified the distinct needs of different audiences and developed tailored, stigma-free resources that reflect real-world digital experiences. Guided by an ecological framework, the hub delivers targeted content for young people, parents, and professionals.
FairPlay includes a suite of practical tools—such as a game-check feature, spending calculator, self-exclusion supports, and family conversation guides—designed to build awareness and support early intervention. The result is an evidence-based, user-centred platform that strengthens community capacity to recognise and respond to gambling harm.
The project is funded by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.
The digital hub is accessible here.
Media release can be found here.
Family Violence and Gambling Harm in NSW: Developing the evidence base
This project examined how gambling harm and family and domestic violence (FDV) intersect in New South Wales to inform more effective service responses. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combined longitudinal analysis of data from 2017–2023 about electronic gaming machine (EGM) accessibility and police reported FDV incidents, with interviews from 33 service providers across gambling, FDV, mental health, and family services.
The quantitative findings showed a statistically significant relationship between EGM density and police-recorded FDV rates, with EGM’s significantly and independently contributing to FDV rates. Stronger effects of EGMs were observed in metropolitan Sydney and parts of regional NSW.
Interviews with service providers highlighted that gambling harm and FDV frequently co-occur, yet services often operate in silos. Providers identified gaps in integrated care, referral pathways, and workforce capability. There was strong demand for targeted training and resources to better identify and respond to gambling-related FDV, particularly coercive control and economic abuse. Overall, the project highlight the need for strong national policy and coordinated, cross-sector service responses to address gambling-related FDV.
This project is funded by the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling
Research Report here.
Media Release here.
National Gambling Participation and Harms Monitoring -study
This ongoing project delivers nationally representative data on gambling participation and harm in Australia through the ANUpoll survey. Since 2019, the survey has collected annual data on participation across major gambling activities, including measures of risk, using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI),
From 2023, the Centre for Gambling Research has led annual reporting of the ANUpoll gambling specific data, supporting timely and policy-relevant translation of the findings. Recent waves have expanded to include online gambling participation and harms experienced by affected others, reflecting emerging trends in the gambling environment.
The study provides a consistent, population-level evidence base to track changes in gambling behaviour and harm over time. Its findings are widely used in State and Federal policy documents, contributing to evidence-based decision-making and strengthening national monitoring of gambling-related harm.
Publications here:
2025
More Australians gambling at risky levels
Gambling participation in Australia 2025
2024
National gambling data shows shift towards online betting
Harm from someone else’s gambling
Gambling participation in Australia 2024
2023
Gambling returns to pre-pandemic levels
Gambling participation and risk after COVID-19...
Image Gallery
