Every year, on the 26th of January, Australians take the time to remember their roots. The day serves as a reminder of the start of colonialism on the continent. In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip landed on the coast with the first fleet of British Ships, raised the Union Jack flag in Sydney Bay and claimed New South Wales as a British Colony.
Since then, Australia has grown and evolved and has become a first-class, first-world country. It has managed to muster many proud moments in its history.
Aussies either go big or go home, which is the case in the casino and gambling industry too. In this article, we take a look at 5 casino facts regarding the pride of Australia when it comes to its impact on the gambling world.
1. A Pokie Capital
While Australia is a small and sparsely populated continent when compared to the rest of the world, it punches way above its weight class in the gambling industry. If you travel through the states (especially New South Wales) you will notice that many pubs and bars contain pokie machines.
If you manage a visit to one of the major casino complexes in the country as well, you will see that the pokie floors are filled with thousands of machines!
As such, Australia has become a pokie machine capital and lies within the top 10 countries for the highest machine count per capita. There are around 200,000 machines nationwide, which is an average of 1 machine per 128 people. New South Wales has around half those machines in their state alone, with 1 machine per 82 people in the region.
2. Mighty Big Spenders Award
When it comes to the amount of money spent on casino games and betting each year, Aussies are far from ‘down under’.
Statistics show that Aussies spend an average of over AU$1,250 per person per year on betting. Much of this is spent on pokie machines, with an average of 600,000 people enjoying this form of entertainment each week. Much of the balance is made up on sports betting because we know how Aussies love their sport.
Australia surpasses its nearest rival, Singapore, by a whopping 25% per person, which is a notable difference in anyone’s book.
3. Adding Muscle to the Government
With such impressive casino and gambling statistics, we can only expect that the government reaps an advantage somehow. Well, the truth is, that the Australian Government receives the highest remuneration from gambling in the world. The multiple casinos in the country churn multiple billions of dollars in tax revenues each year, which helps to keep the coffers full.
Thankfully, the Australian Government has proven itself to be trustworthy with such sizeable revenues and are continuously growing the country with the help of the income stream.
4. Casinos Keep the Economy Alive and Boosts Employment
There are more than 8 top full-scale casinos spread across the 8 states of Australia. Each of these establishments demands a high staff compliment, including gaming hosts, cashiers, security personnel, cleaners, VIP hosts, hospitality staff, management, and more.
The venues, therefore, help boost the economy by providing employment and making sure that people can put money on the table to feed their families every month. In Straya, tens of thousands of people are employed in the casino industry.
5. Aussie Company Is Close to the Crown
When it comes to gambling machines, Aussies are not only the ones playing the games, but also the ones making them. Aristocrat Gaming is a proudly Australian business and is the world’s second-largest producer of casino gaming systems after the American company, IGT. They also have a huge online casino presence, globally.
Aussie pride is, therefore, present in 90 countries and over 300 gaming jurisdictions worldwide, thanks to this stellar casino game provider.
Remembering Our Heritage
As Aussies, we strive to win at everything we do. Whether it is athletics, sports, gambling, and more – we always walk away with a medal or accolade of some sort. So, this Australia Day, let us celebrate our winning mentality.
Remember that it is not always necessary to head to the pub or casino for a pokie session, but you can load up an Aussie-friendly online casino from your mobile device or desktop computer. For more about the online gambling presence that is booming on Oz, refer to DiceDealer for all the ins and outs of the industry.