The total amount spent on gambling during the most recent Covid lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne far exceeds the peak seen last year and points to a potential permanent shift in behaviour.
According to a real-time spending tracker developed by Accenture and credit bureau Illion, spending on gambling was 328.7 per cent higher than normal levels as of September 19.
The spending tracker analyses the bank transaction data from hundreds of thousands of Australian consumers each week, with customer consent. It measures average spending for each week, relative to average weekly spending in January 2020.
During the 2020 nationwide lockdown, spending on gambling was 215.8 per cent higher than normal.
Accenture managing director Andrew Charlton told the Sydney Morning Herald that the higher spending this time around points to a lasting shift in consumer behaviour.
“It appears many people have been introduced to online gambling during lockdowns,” he was cited as saying. “They’ve discovered there is a poker machine in their pocket.”
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
