Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Clearly this chamber would be well aware of the potential impacts of gambling related harm and the adverse impacts that can have on people's lives. The obvious one is financial wellbeing, but it can also impact on self-esteem, relationships, work performance, housing situation and of course physical and mental health. Last week the government actually released a baseline study into online wagering, which was undertaken by the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Some of the key findings from that study showed that participants reported having 2.3 wagering accounts, so an individual who had online wagering accounts was likely to have 2.3 of them. Eighty-three per cent of participants placed bets online using portable devices, such as a mobile phone, and 52 per cent of respondents were classified as being at risk. The National Self-Exclusion Register is a very significant measure in helping people to deal with these issues.