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Australia's Gambling Industries - Productivity Commission

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• in 1993-94, gambling had led to some form of legal problem for 31 per cent of<br />

male clients and 22 per cent of female clients; but<br />

• in 1994-95, 68 per cent of male clients and 57 per cent of female clients<br />

experienced legal problems as a result of their gambling.<br />

Survey of Clients of Counselling Agencies<br />

Results of illegal activity among clients of problem gambling agencies are available<br />

from the <strong>Commission</strong>’s Survey of Clients of Counselling Agencies (table H.2). As<br />

with the National <strong>Gambling</strong> Survey, all questions about criminal activity were asked<br />

specifically in relation to a respondent’s gambling.<br />

Overall, 44 per cent of clients reported an involvement in some form of gambling<br />

related criminal activity at some stage of their gambling career (apart from<br />

fraudulently written cheques). Around 16 per cent had appeared in court on charges<br />

related to their gambling, and around 6 per cent had received a prison sentence<br />

because of a gambling related criminal offence.<br />

Table H.2<br />

Crime among clients of problem gambling counselling agencies<br />

<strong>Gambling</strong> related crime<br />

% of clients<br />

Fraudulently written cheques (in the last 12 months) 21.2<br />

Borrowing without permission or obtaining money improperly (ever) 42.3<br />

<strong>Gambling</strong> has led to problems with the police (ever) 18.3<br />

An appearance in court on criminal charges (ever) 15.8<br />

A prison sentence (ever) 6.4<br />

Any gambling related crime (ever) 50.2<br />

Any gambling related crime except fraudulently written cheques (ever) 44.1<br />

a The percentages refer to 404 clients.<br />

Source: PC Survey of Clients of Counselling Agencies.<br />

Information obtained in the Survey of Clients of Counselling Agencies can be used<br />

to estimate the characteristics of gamblers that are most likely to be associated with<br />

criminal activity. Results from a logistic regression are reported in table H.3, where<br />

explanators such as age, gender, and level of gambling debt are considered. These<br />

suggest that higher levels of debt present a significant risk factor for crime. For<br />

example, the estimated regression suggests that a 35 year old, English-speaking<br />

male problem gambler with $10 000 debt has around a 45 per cent chance of having<br />

committed a crime. However, with a debt level of $50 000, the probability of a<br />

crime rises to around 78 per cent.<br />

PROBLEM GAMBLING<br />

AND CRIME<br />

H.5

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