Average annual expense per adult player
1. What we believe
Average annual spend per adult on slot machines = annual loss of slot machine players ÷ number of adults who have played the machines ≥1 times in the last 12 months. Sources and steps - below.
2. Baseline Numbers (Latest Available August 2025)
• Annual losses on slot machines: ≈ A $13 billion per year in all states and territories where machines are allowed in pubs/clubs (WA is excluded, because there are no machines in pubs/clubs). This is an estimate by the Australia Institute, which is comparable to the official statistics of Queensland Treasury (AGS) and some sources, where the total losses (including state-owned machines) reach ~ A $16 billion.
• Proportion of adults playing machines per year: ~ 33% of the adult population (estimated by the national AIFS/AGRC survey). By state, the share varies (NSW ~ 39%, VIC ~ 31%, QLD ~ 34%, etc.).
• Ratio with total losses from gambling: all types of gambling in 2022-23 brought total losses ~ A $31. 5 billion/year, and a significant part - slot machines. This is necessary for contextual verification of scales.
3. Calculation (base "without WA," machines in pubs/clubs)
• Number of adult players = 33. 4% × the number of adults. In terms of Australia Institute - ≈6. 6 million adult players (excluding WA).
• Average annual spend per player = A $ 13 000 000 000 ÷ 6,600,000 ≈ A $1,970 per year per adult player.
4. Range under alternative assumptions
• If we use the upper estimate of losses (taking into account methodological differences and partial inclusion of casinos) ~ A $16 billion, with the same number of players: 16 000 000 000 ÷ 6,600,000 ≈ A $2,420/year per player.
• Check for "recalculation to the adult population": average losses per "average adult resident" = A $1,970 × 33. 4% ≈ A $658/adult/year, which in order corresponds to independent estimates of per capit losses for machine guns in previous years.
5. Relevance (2025) and trend verification
• In NSW for the 2023-24 reporting year, "profit" from machines (the best proxy for player losses)> A $8. 4 billion, which confirms the continued high level of losses and makes an estimate of ~ A $1. 9–2. 4 thousand/player realistic for 2024-25.
• VIC for 2022-23 recorded ~ A $3. 022 billion losses on machines; according to QLD in 2022-23, the machines had to be ≈A$3. 2 billion out of ≈A$6. 1 billion total losses - this is consistent with the national calculation base.
6. Formula and reproducibility
Basic formula (non-WA option, pub/club machines):
7. Important caveats
• Territorial coverage: basic calculation excludes WA (there are no machines in pubs/clubs), which is agreed between the estimate of losses and the estimate of the number of players. Turning on the WA and/or breech machines shifts the average up (see range).
• Heterogeneity of sources: official AGS aggregates "Gaming machines" outside the casino separately from "Casino"; Media and analytical reports sometimes bring them together, which gives a higher "cap" (up to ~ A $16 billion). This is the reason to display the range.
• Risk/low risk threshold: for machines, the benchmark for low-risk spending is estimated ~ A $240/person/year (indexed to ~ A $301), with ≥80% of losses on machines accounted for by players above these limits. This fact does not affect the mean, but is important for interpretation.
8. Result
• A conservative estimate of the average annual spend per adult player per slot machine in Australia (2025, based on the latest 2022-23 full figures, no WA; machines in pubs/clubs): ~ A $1,970/player/year. Possible corridor taking into account the method of disassembly and partial inclusion of the casino: ~ A $1. 9–2. 4 thousand/player/year.
Average annual spend per adult on slot machines = annual loss of slot machine players ÷ number of adults who have played the machines ≥1 times in the last 12 months. Sources and steps - below.
2. Baseline Numbers (Latest Available August 2025)
• Annual losses on slot machines: ≈ A $13 billion per year in all states and territories where machines are allowed in pubs/clubs (WA is excluded, because there are no machines in pubs/clubs). This is an estimate by the Australia Institute, which is comparable to the official statistics of Queensland Treasury (AGS) and some sources, where the total losses (including state-owned machines) reach ~ A $16 billion.
• Proportion of adults playing machines per year: ~ 33% of the adult population (estimated by the national AIFS/AGRC survey). By state, the share varies (NSW ~ 39%, VIC ~ 31%, QLD ~ 34%, etc.).
• Ratio with total losses from gambling: all types of gambling in 2022-23 brought total losses ~ A $31. 5 billion/year, and a significant part - slot machines. This is necessary for contextual verification of scales.
3. Calculation (base "without WA," machines in pubs/clubs)
• Number of adult players = 33. 4% × the number of adults. In terms of Australia Institute - ≈6. 6 million adult players (excluding WA).
• Average annual spend per player = A $ 13 000 000 000 ÷ 6,600,000 ≈ A $1,970 per year per adult player.
4. Range under alternative assumptions
• If we use the upper estimate of losses (taking into account methodological differences and partial inclusion of casinos) ~ A $16 billion, with the same number of players: 16 000 000 000 ÷ 6,600,000 ≈ A $2,420/year per player.
• Check for "recalculation to the adult population": average losses per "average adult resident" = A $1,970 × 33. 4% ≈ A $658/adult/year, which in order corresponds to independent estimates of per capit losses for machine guns in previous years.
5. Relevance (2025) and trend verification
• In NSW for the 2023-24 reporting year, "profit" from machines (the best proxy for player losses)> A $8. 4 billion, which confirms the continued high level of losses and makes an estimate of ~ A $1. 9–2. 4 thousand/player realistic for 2024-25.
• VIC for 2022-23 recorded ~ A $3. 022 billion losses on machines; according to QLD in 2022-23, the machines had to be ≈A$3. 2 billion out of ≈A$6. 1 billion total losses - this is consistent with the national calculation base.
6. Formula and reproducibility
Basic formula (non-WA option, pub/club machines):
- Average consumption per player = (Annual losses on machines) ÷ (Proportion of adults playing on machines × Number of adults).
- In the calculation above, instead of an explicit number of adults, a ready-made estimate of the number of players (≈6 is used. 6 million) from the same source, obtained using share 33. 4% to the adult population (no WA).
7. Important caveats
• Territorial coverage: basic calculation excludes WA (there are no machines in pubs/clubs), which is agreed between the estimate of losses and the estimate of the number of players. Turning on the WA and/or breech machines shifts the average up (see range).
• Heterogeneity of sources: official AGS aggregates "Gaming machines" outside the casino separately from "Casino"; Media and analytical reports sometimes bring them together, which gives a higher "cap" (up to ~ A $16 billion). This is the reason to display the range.
• Risk/low risk threshold: for machines, the benchmark for low-risk spending is estimated ~ A $240/person/year (indexed to ~ A $301), with ≥80% of losses on machines accounted for by players above these limits. This fact does not affect the mean, but is important for interpretation.
8. Result
• A conservative estimate of the average annual spend per adult player per slot machine in Australia (2025, based on the latest 2022-23 full figures, no WA; machines in pubs/clubs): ~ A $1,970/player/year. Possible corridor taking into account the method of disassembly and partial inclusion of the casino: ~ A $1. 9–2. 4 thousand/player/year.
