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Australian Gamblers – Why Is Gambling So Popular In The Antipodeans?

Perhaps you can thank the brutal Australian history for their present-day love of gambling. After all, life was incredibly tough under the watchful eye of British Colonial rule. So many different gambling games formed an outlet for those looking for a needed distraction away from the day-to-day hardships of life, so far away from home. Today, Australian gamblers flock to the slots machines. Down under, these are known as "pokie", and to say they're popular would be a massive understatement.

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Why Do Australian Gamblers Play So Much?

When we talk about how much different nationalities like to later gamble, we normally mentioned that the Chinese are at the top of the table. But coming in a very close second, you’ll find the antipodeans. It said that Australian gamblers cannot make a journey without taking a detour to play a pokie machine. And even though we know that pokies are great fun, we wonder if there’s any truth in this.

Australian Gamblers Spend Big

Recent statistics show that the average Australian player manages to gamble through A$1,172 annually. This is a great deal more when you compare it to the Irish who spend around $600 and the Americans around $400. This trend of Australian gambling shows no signs of slowing down. When you think of slot machines, your mind probably turns to the massive casino gaming floors of Las Vegas and Macau. But what you probably didn’t realise is that there are many more jackpot slots in Australia. In fact, more than anywhere else in the world! By the way, in Australia, slot machines are called “pokies.” And you find them everywhere. In hotels and casinos, and in registered clubs and bars. And it’s these pokie machines that lead to Australia being the self-proclaimed gambling centre of the world.

Many visitors to Australia will express concern about just how much gambling is going on. But we guess the real question should be how do Australians feel about it? It’s also worth considering why they gamble? For example, is it a way to get rich quick? Or do they have a natural talent for it? Or is it simply just a means of passing time and having some fun?

Enter the Unique Culture of Australian Gamblers

Long before there was online gambling, Australians for making bets on all sorts of things dating back further than the Colonial era. Many of the new settlers would spice up their life by taking risks. It was quickly discovered that entertainment venues without gambling were less successful than those with. Consider for a minute just how unfriendly British Imperialism was. Then it’s not surprising that Australians took to gambling as a means of escaping from their day-to-day struggles.

What’s interesting is how, when compared with sports adventures and other cultural events, gambling turned out to be the greatest source of joy for Australians. Under harsh Colonial rule, gambling games were a great source of entertainment. And it was during these times that gambling games became part and parcel of the Australian persona.

A Fun Diversion

Perhaps we should consider that gambling was an old tradition which involved great fun. Therefore it’s no surprise that Australians didn’t want it to die. Being a relatively new country, it could be said that a culture of gambling has passed down from generation to generation. Today’s Australian gamblers are able to access a much wider range of gambling options. Obviously, this is thanks to the internet and online casinos and sportsbooks. In many ways this allows them to be able to bet more selectively. And with a greater chance to win the jackpot online. As a result, you’ll find pokies, horse race betting, sports betting, casino gaming, lotto, scratch tickets, and offline poker tournaments everywhere.

If you consider the US obsession with the Super Bowl, then perhaps you shouldn’t make any hard judgements against Australians and their gambling habits. Take note, that for many Australians, playing pokies and betting is a social occasion. People come together for drinks, some gambling fun and a laugh. In spite of, or perhaps because of, within the culture of gambling you’ll find that virtually all Australians accept the idea of responsible gambling. As such, they have a match of higher tolerance when it comes to dealing with problem gamblers. Interestingly enough, many countries around the world are starting to employ the Australian model of dealing with the anti-social aspects of gambling.

A Good Revenue Source for Aussies

Many gambling companies who first enter the Australian space are amazed at how easy it is to find online Australian gamblers. That’s because gambling is virtually an innate impulse for antipodeans. So there’s no need to spend lots of money on aggressive marketing to bring new players into their online casinos. You can also see that all gambling-related businesses are continuing to grow. And with the use of clever marketing, online casinos like Bodog Casino can always draw players back to play again.

Gambling businesses throughout Australia are continuing to grow thanks to very favourable regulations. All states have hotel pokie machines except Western Australia, though South Wales has relatively stricter regulations. By strict, we mean they limit the number of pokie machines to 99,000, which is already a huge number.

The Government Loves Australian Gamblers

We feel there’s a direct correlation between the massive revenue that gambling generates and the fact that Australia continues to maintain a very relaxed attitude towards gambling laws. After all, the government itself benefits hugely from gambling taxes. And this in turn incentivizes the government to support the iGaming industry. If we look at the numbers, we can see that between 2018 and 2019, the Australian government managed to collect A$6.6 billion in taxes across the whole gambling industry. We such huge amounts of moolah pouring into their coffers, we don’t see the Australian government imposing any restrictions on the gaming industry at any time in the near future.

Bodog Casino: The Best Online Casino In Australia

One of the most popular online destinations for all Australian gamblers is Bodog Casino. And we can’t say we’re surprised. With their very generous welcome bonus offer of 100% up to A$1,000! This is a great way to instantly increase your jackpot winning chances. Not only do they have every casino game under the sun, and many are offered as live dealer jackpot games, but they also accept cryptocurrencies as a means of funding your online casino account.