Problem gambling is a major public health concern in Australia and internationally. This paper presents the first nationally representative data of the rates of online gambling participation overall, and across multiple activities in Australia beyond COVID-19, providing important evidence of the long term-shift in gambling behaviours.

Gambling participation rates after COVID-19 have stabilised since the substantial decline in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in the Australian general population. While overall gambling participation rates have decreased over the past 15 years, online gambling rates have exponentially increased in the same period, and should now be considered one of the main gambling platforms. The unlimited and uninterrupted access to online gambling platforms has the potential to cause harm if not adequately addressed with an evidence-based public health strategy, including industry regulation.