Australians lose around A$25 billion [US$16 billion] on legal forms of gambling each year, representing the largest per person losses in the world.
Gambling harms – including financial, emotional, social and psychological costs – extend to loved ones, peers and co-workers and the community. And some communities are impacted differently to others.
The Northern Territory has a growing multicultural population, with 22% of residents born overseas and 33% speaking a language other than English at home. About 37% of multicultural Territorians are considered at-risk gamblers, compared to 14% in English speaking households.
Many migrants, including those in the NT, experience financial, social, and emotional pressures, which sometimes lead them to gambling as a means of socialisation or stress relief.