Table of Contents
Australians are known for their gambling habits around the world. According to statistics, they tend to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly playing games of chance. This huge amount of participation represents 80% of the total adult population of the country and is by far the highest percentage in any country in the world.
Knowing this, one can’t help to wonder how did it come to be this way?
Well, it has a lot to do with history. The history of gambling in this country dates back to the time when it was first settled by migrants. Gradually, as the population grew and its culture developed, gambling became one of the most popular sports among its people. Today, according to the above-mentioned statistics, it is considered to be one of the largest casino gaming markets, be it online or offline.
Because of this fact, it would be justified to shed more light on the gambling industry. We’ll mention a couple of facts about it, just to give readers an insight into all the nitty-gritty details about its gambling industry that they need to know in order to understand why so many people play pokies.
The rise of online gambling
As was the case with the rest of the world the internet is to be blamed for such a huge rise in the popularity when it comes to online gambling. Naturally, the government instantly started thinking about the ways they can introduce taxes from online platforms, and assure revenue asap. The parliament did attempt to limit the interaction between gamblers and online platforms, by introducing laws to control the activity in the early 2000s.
However, they weren’t successful much. The love for gambling prevailed, and the internet made it possible to flourish. It is because this industry was also blooming in other parts of the world as well, it was made possible for people of this country to gamble regardless of the laws. Only fifteen years later did the parliament decide to modify the existing law, allowing online casinos to work legally, by obtaining a license. So, pokies became one of the most played games on these platforms.
These laws also introduced some mechanisms for protecting the gambler, in terms of preventing gambling addiction.
No need to mention how the time made these casinos super popular. Just as in other parts of the world, the variety of games they offered, and the possibility to play anytime, anywhere, made gambling even more popular. Those who liked to play pokies in real casinos are now given a chance to indulge in a game even more. With a little knowledge on how to choose a safe platform, their gambling was made safer than ever. All they needed to do, in order to find a good casino, was read reviews on https://www.gamblingsitesreview.com/online-pokies/.
What’s so special about pokies?
There are quite a lot of reasons why people like this game. The first one may be the whole concept based on which these machines are made. Flashing lights, tons of different colors, and sounds, especially the one they make when someone hits the jackpot. One can’t help to feel drawn and lucky. The stakes are not too high, so the fact that a single coin can make you rich is pretty tempting.
The game was introduced to gamblers in the early 20th century and immediately rose to fame. They weren’t legal until the fifties, though, which only made them even more popular. It was also something one could only try in a real casino. Unlike today, when you can play regardless of the location.
Even though the old machines couldn’t be compared to the ones used today, people still found them a lot of fun. Not long after they hit the mark, they became a cultural thing in so many communities throughout the country.
Today, these are entirely legal, have way more reals, and a lot more pay lines. A reason enough for their popularity to rise yearly. There’s no limit to where one could play, and if they choose a live casino, they come in so many popular themes that make it really hard to resist.
Aside from all that we mentioned above, one particular fact about pokies makes all the difference in terms of popularity. It’s the fact that they require 0 skills to play. The sole thought of the possibility to make tons of money with a single click, or pulling the rod, makes the game very hard to resist.
The adrenaline rush one gets from that thought is just super exciting.
How does this affect the life of an average Australian?
Although the industry is obviously blooming, making a lot of people happy, not everything is so positive about it. Some indicators show how negatively it affects the public. The parliament has done everything it can to make legislation preventive when it comes to addiction, many adults still experience the negative effect gambling has on their social life.
Too many are experiencing mood shifts, stress, anger issues, and anxiety, and it affects how they interact with other people. Realizing that there is an addiction to gambling can be shocking to the person who is addicted. Sometimes we are not aware of what we are doing for a long time until it takes off. Men usually start gambling already in adolescence, while women start gambling in later years when their responsibilities subside and they have more time.
This disorder occurs progressively, meaning that gambling becomes more and more frequent because the search for excitement increases with a higher frequency of gambling. In a way, one gets hooked on the feeling this activity provokes inside of him.
Although it’s an obvious issue, the government has also recognized it and in order to help its citizens developed a network of websites where one can seek help to get rid of the addiction.