The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies’ gambling database has been updated to include gaming machine expenditure, taxation revenue and gaming machine and venue population data for 2008/09 and 2009/10. The database provides regional level data on gaming machine activity in South Australian licensed venues (i.e. hotels and clubs) based on data published and supplied by the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner.
Total gaming machine net gambling revenue/expenditure for South Australia in 2009/10 was $729 million. Gaming machine expenditure for 2009/10 was down 2.8 per cent from the previous year, and down 8.0 per cent from its peak of $793 million in 2006/07. A number of factors have contributed to the decline in gaming machine expenditure over recent years, including, among other things:
- the introduction of total smoking bans in November 2007;
- deterioration in the general economic environment following the Global Financial Crisis in 2008; and
- maturation of the gaming machine industry which has slowed the natural growth of the industry.
The City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters had the highest relative level of gambling expenditure of any region in 2008/09 ($1,084 per adult) outside the City of Adelaide ($2,005 per adult). Other regions with relatively high levels of gambling expenditure in 2008/09 include Port Augusta ($1,026 per adult), Whyalla ($954 per adult), Port Adelaide Enfield ($904 per adult) and Gawler ($884 per adult).
Please note that relative ‘per adult’ estimates of gambling revenue, taxation revenue and gaming machine prevalence for 2009/10 will be made available later in the year once ABS data on regional population estimates by age group is published.
The update of the database closely follows a speech by Mr Gary Banks AO, Chairman of the Productivity Commission, on the topic of evidence and public policy in respect of problem gambling, presented to SACES corporate members on 30th March 2011.