Nearly 200,000 children under the age of 15 in Australia are exposed to moderate or problem gambling by their parents, according to a landmark new study.
Of these children, nearly 60,000 are exposed to the highest level of parental gambling problems, putting them at risk of negative wellbeing outcomes and serious harm.
That’s according to a study titled How many children are exposed to at-risk parental gambling in Australia? Results from a representative national sample, from researchers at the Australian National University.
The study analysed data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and is published in the Addictive Behaviours journal.
It shows that 13.7 per cent of all Australian families with dependent children are currently exposed to some level of gambling risk due to parental gambling.
“By documenting the very large number of children living with parents who are at-risk gamblers, and given the known adverse impacts this can have for children, the current findings provide a motivation to specifically consider and address child and parent wellbeing in these families,” the report states.
Previous research has shown that children affected by parental gambling are at risk of harm, and parental problem gambling can be associated with child welfare concerns.
“The large number of children exposed in this study is sufficient to justify the intensification of public health initiatives to reduce problem gambling harm in the general population,” the study states in its conclusion.
“The study outcomes can be used to justify specific prevention strategies to better target, not only adult at-risk gambling, but also the wellbeing of children in families that are negatively affected by parental gambling.”
The study shows that 6 per cent of all parents with dependent children are classified as problem gamblers, while about 10 per cent of parents have engaged in some level of risky gambling in the past year.
Gambling Help Online: https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/