The prevalence of excessive and pathological gambling in Australia

Prevalence rate estimates were made for four levels of excessive gambling in Australia. Poker machine players (N=398) and off-course bettors (N=172) in the Australian Capital Territory were surveyed on their gambling. Four increasingly strict levels of excessive gambling were defined. Prevalence rates for each level were estimated for the general population using results of two commercial surveys run concurrently with this research. Estimates ranged from 1.73% of the population for the most liberal level to 0.25% of the population for the most strict. The fourth level is the most psychologically adequate and so 0.25% is the most appropriate estimate. While no direct correspondence to the current DSM-III could be found, an estimate in terms of the revised DSM-III for pathological gambling was at most 0.25% of the population. This estimate may further fall in those places where gambling facilities are less available.