Australia's Gambling Industries - Productivity Commission

states offer up to $50 000 each for serious harm (Queensland offers up the $75 000).
Acute pain and suffering can also be compensated up to $50 000. For example, the
New South Wales Victims Compensation Amendment Act 1998, offers
compensation to the level of:
• chronic psychological or psychiatric disorder that is moderately disabling, $5000
to $15 000; and
• chronic psychological or psychiatric disorder that is severely disabling, $30 000
to $50 000.
In a discussion paper on compensation, the ACT Government (Humphries 1997)
reported that the median award value for psychological injuries in New South Wales
and the ACT in 1995-96 was $15 260. The discussion paper commented:
As would be expected, applicants whose psychological injury was caused by sexual
assault receive relatively large awards (median of nearly $30 000). Those whose
psychological injury stems from assault generally receive lesser amounts (median
$14 150). (p.8)
In the US, the Department of Justice (1996) reviewed jury award for those suffering
as a result of crime. The study reported the following amounts (in 1993 $US):
• Child abuse: 52 371;
• Rape and sexual assault 81 400;
• Other assault or attempt with injury 19 300;
• Other assault or attempt without injury 1700;
• Robbery or attempt with injury 13 800;
• Robbery or attempt without injury 1300; and
• Burglary and attempt 300.
The study said:
For nonfatal injuries, the research team estimated value of pain, suffering, fear, and lost
quality of life by analysing jury awards to crime victims and burn victims. ... This study
ignored jury award for punitive damages and instead focused solely on that portion of
the jury verdict designed to “compensate” the victim for pain, suffering, and lost quality
of life. ... In this manner, the researchers were able to estimate what the average jury
award for pain and suffering would be for the typical crime in the project’s data set.
(p.15)
As with the information for Australia, rape and sexual assault and child abuse in the
US results in the highest levels of payment.
J.24 GAMBLING