The prevalence and correlates of gambling in secondary school students in New South Wales 2022-23

About the study

This study examines gambling and problem gambling among a sample of NSW secondary school students, aged between 12-17 years. Commissioned by the Responsible Gambling Fund, the research provides insights about gambling behaviours and attitudes, including associations between factors such as exposure to gambling advertising and the use of other substances like alcohol and tobacco.

The methodology

For the first time in NSW, questions about gambling were included in the 2022/23 Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey. 

The ASSAD survey explores secondary students’ behaviour and attitudes in relation to substance use, looking at things like alcohol consumption, smoking, vaping, and drug use. The NSW gambling component of this research was led by the University of Newcastle.

Secondary schools from NSW were randomly selected to participate in this research based on a two-stage probability sample, stratified by education sector and year level. In some instances, to ensure an adequate sample size for analysis, data from NSW has been combined with the equivalent data from Victoria.

The total sample comprised n=2,752 students (n=1,430 from VIC and n=1,322 from NSW), weighted to align with state population distributions.

Key findings

This research provides up-to-date prevalence estimates of the gambling behaviours of 12–17-year-old secondary school students in NSW. Some key findings are:

• Almost 1 in 3 students from NSW reported having gambled, and just over 1 in 5 students reported gambling in the past year. Three percent of NSW students were classified with problem gambling on the DSM-IV-[MR]-J, and 41% of NSW students who had gambled in the past year were classified with problem or at-risk gambling. 
• The current study highlights the pervasive nature of gambling in young peoples’ lives, with a large proportion of students attending venues where gambling occurs, and/or being exposed to gambling advertisements, and gambling by family members.
• Links between young peoples’ gambling behaviours and engagement in other risky behaviours were also identified. Gambling participation was associated with past month smoking, vaping and alcohol consumption, and lifetime illicit drug use; and problem or at-risk gambling was associated with past month smoking and alcohol consumption, and lifetime illicit drug use.
  

Suggested citation

Noble N, Freund M, Scully M, Clapham M and Leigh L (2024) The prevalence and correlates of gambling in secondary school students in New South Wales 2022/23. Commissioned by the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund.