Australians are being encouraged to take a closer look at how gambling might be impacting their mental health.
From scratch lottery tickets to sports betting, Australia is gambling away approximately $24 billion a year, according to the latest Australian Gambling Statistics.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform Chief Advocate, the Rev Tim Costello said Australia has the greatest gambling losses per head in the world, 30 per cent higher per capita than Singapore which comes second.
Mr Costello also said gambling addiction has many similarities with other types of addiction.
"The dopamine released in the brain hits the pleasure centre with the force of cocaine. Pokies are the crack cocaine of gambling which leads to rapid addiction. Gamble responsibly is as sensible as saying use heroin responsibly."
Mr Costello added the shame associated with addiction was stopping people from getting help.
“If you're addicted you're addicted. And from addiction the shame the silence the mental health issues start to occur and I have to say with the ubiquity of sports betting, people with mental health illnesses are the ones who often take up gambling because of that hope that I am a winner, I am not a loser is pumped at them all the time," he said.
