8684.0 - Gambling Industries, Australia, 2000-01  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 18/07/2002   
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

OVERVIEW

This publication presents results, in respect of the 2000-01 financial year, from surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) of employing businesses involved in the provision of gambling services. This is the third time that the ABS has surveyed these industries, with previous surveys conducted in respect of 1994-95 and 1997-98.

For the purposes of this publication, data have been presented for businesses which derived some part of their income from the provision of gambling services (i.e. in the form of gambling takings or commissions). While the ANZSIC classification delineates gambling to businesses classified to classes 9321 LOTTERIES, 9322 CASINOS and 9329 GAMBLING SERVICES N.E.C., the provision of gambling services in many other types of businesses necessitated a much wider view.

Thus this publication presents two different statistical views of gambling as outlined below.

  • Chapter 2 presents aggregates on gambling activity for all employing businesses classified to the nine ANZSIC classes included in the scope of the survey regardless of the main activity of the business (Refer paragraph 2 of the Explanatory Notes).
  • Chapter 3 presents detailed information on employment, income, expenses and profitability of businesses whose main activity is the provision of gambling services (i.e. businesses classified to ANZSIC classes 9321, 9322, and 9329).

In order to allow historical comparisons, it has been necessary to revise the 1997-98 data so that the basis for the estimates is consistent with that used for the 2000-01 survey. For more details, see paragraphs 4 to 6 of the Explanatory notes in this publication. However, users should still take care in comparing the results contained in this publication with results for 1997-98, as there are some scope differences between the two series of statistics.

Based on the scope detailed in the Explanatory notes, there were 6,012 employing businesses in Australia involved in the provision of gambling services, at the end of June 2001. A large proportion (75%) of these businesses were hospitality clubs, pubs, taverns and bars.


TABLE 1.1 BUSINESSES WITH GAMBLING ACTIVITY, By Industry(a)
Businesses at end June 2001
no.
Pubs, taverns and bars
2,566
Hospitality clubs
1,952
Thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing clubs
28
Other sporting clubs and venues
279
Casinos
13
Lottery operators
10
Gambling services n.e.c.
1,069
Accommodation
95
Total
6,012
(a) Excluding lottery agencies.
Copyright ã Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002


GAMBLING ACTIVITY

Introduction

Chapter 2 of this publication presents aggregates of gambling activity of employing businesses involved in the provision of gambling services (regardless of the main activity of the business).

Net takings from gambling

The total net takings from gambling during 2000-01 were $13,839m, which represented an increase of 26% since 1997-98.

The major source of net takings from gambling was from poker/gaming machines ($8,752m), which represented 63% of the total net takings from gambling. Since 1997-98, the net takings from poker/gaming machines have increased by 39%. Major venues for net takings from poker/gaming machines included those in hospitality clubs ($4,238m), pubs, taverns and bars ($3,280m) and casinos ($1,021m).

Other major sources of net takings from gambling included off-course TAB takings of $1,692m, casino gaming tables of $1,464m and lotteries, lotto style games and football pools of $1,342m.

Since 1997-98, the structure of gambling activity has changed with net takings from poker/gaming machines increasing from 57% of total net takings from gambling in 1997-98 to 63% in 2000-01. In contrast, net takings from off-course TAB decreased from 13% of total net takings in 1997-98 to 12% in 2000-01, net takings from casino table games decreased from 13% to 11% of total net takings, and net takings from lotteries, lotto style games and football pools decreased from 11% to 10% of total net takings over the three year period.

Although there was some online gambling via the Internet during 2000-01, the total net takings of $764m represented less than 6% of the total net takings from gambling.

TABLE 2.1 GAMBLING ACTIVITY - NET TAKINGS FROM GAMBLING, By Type of Gambling and Venue
1997-98
2000-01
Change
$m
%
$m
%
%
Poker/gaming machines in
Pubs, taverns and bars
r 2,085.0
19.0
3,279.6
23.7
57.3
Clubs
Hospitality clubs
r 3,498.4
r 31.9
4,237.5
30.6
21.1
Thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing clubs
n.a.
n.a.
51.6
0.4
. .
Other sporting clubs and venues
n.a.
n.a.
122.3
0.9
. .
Total
r 3,498.4
r 31.9
4,411.3
31.9
26.1
Casinos
700.1
r 6.4
1,020.5
7.4
45.8
Accommodation businesses
10.3
0.1
41.0
0.3
298.2
Total
r 6,293.7
r 57.4
8,752.4
63.2
39.3
On-course totalisator
129.4
1.2
102.9
0.7
-20.5
Off-course TAB
Thoroughbred, harness and greyhound betting
1,416.5
r 12.9
1,654.1
12.0
16.8
Other
13.1
0.1
37.4
0.3
185.6
Total
1,429.7
r 13.0
1,691.5
12.3
18.3
Thoroughbred, harness and greyhound betting bookmakers
r 42.1
0.4
43.7
0.3
3.8
Lotteries and lotto style games
Lotteries, lotto style games and football pools
r 1,179.2
r 10.7
1,342.4
9.7
13.8
Instant money
246.4
2.2
202.4
1.5
-17.9
Keno in clubs, pubs, taverns and bars
175.7
1.6
181.3
1.3
3.2
Total
1,601.3
r 14.6
1,726.1
12.5
7.8
Casino gaming tables
1,431.6
r 13.0
1,463.7
10.6
2.2
Casino keno
33.4
0.3
19.2
0.1
-42.5
Other gambling(a)
r 10.2
0.1
39.0
0.3
n.a.
Total(b)
r 10,971.4
100.0
13,838.6
100.0
26.1
(a) Includes bookmakers' takings other than on thoroughbred, harness and greyhound betting and, for 2000-01, casino games via the Internet.
(b) Of the total net takings, $763.8m was received online.
n.a. not available
r revised
. . not applicable
Copyright ã Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002


GAMBLING INDUSTRIES

Introduction

Chapter 3 of this publication presents results, in respect of the 2000-01 financial year, from an ABS survey of employing businesses in the Gambling Services industry. These businesses are classified to Classes 9321 LOTTERIES, 9322 CASINOS and 9329 GAMBLING SERVICES N.E.C., of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC).

These industry classes include businesses mainly engaged in operating lotteries, casinos, and those providing other gambling services such as bookmaking services and totalisator services and agencies. Businesses operating lottery agencies, however, were excluded from this survey.

Size of industry

At the end of June 2001, there were 1,092 employing businesses operating in the gambling services industry in Australia. These businesses comprised 10 lottery operators, 13 casinos and 1,069 other businesses providing gambling services. The 1997-98 business counts of lottery operators have been revised to exclude lottery agencies, which were excluded from the scope of the 2000-01 survey.

Sources of income

The total income (net of payouts to players) of businesses in the three gambling industries was $9,543m in 2000-01, which was a 21% increase since 1997-98. The total income (net of payouts to players) of Casinos ($3,137m) increased by 16%, while total income of businesses classified to Gambling Services n.e.c. ($4,776m) increased by 81%. However, the total income of Lottery operators ($1,630m) decreased by 36%.

Profitability

For 2000-01, businesses in the three gambling industries recorded an operating profit before tax of $1,358m, which represented an operating profit margin of 14.3%. Lottery operators recorded an operating profit before tax of $110m, casinos recorded an operating profit before tax of $537m and businesses providing other gambling services recorded an operating profit before tax of $711m, representing operating profit margins of 6.8%, 17.4% and 14.9% respectively.

Employment

At the end of June 2001, employment of the three gambling industries was 32,591 persons, which was 7% less than at the end of June 1998.

TABLE 3.1 GAMBLING INDUSTRIES - SOURCES OF INCOME AND OTHER KEY AGGREGATES
Lottery operators
Casinos
Gambling services n.e.c.(a)
Total
Businesses at end June
1997-98
no.
r 11
13
r 1,282
r 1,306
2000-01
no.
10
13
1,069
1,092
Change
%
-9.1
-
-16.6
-16.4
Total employment at end June
1997-98
no.
r 2,243
20,531
r 12,180
r 34,954
2000-01
no.
984
20,413
11,194
32,591
Change
%
-56.1
-0.6
-8.1
-6.8
Net takings from gambling
1997-98
$m
2,440.3
2,165.1
r 2,468.5
r 7,073.9
2000-01
$m
1,565.5
2,503.5
4,485.1
8,554.1
Change
%
-35.8
15.6
81.7
20.9
Commissions from gambling
1997-98
$m
. .
1.5
r 75.9
r 77.4
2000-01
$m
. .
1.8
98.7
100.5
Change
%
. .
18.1
30.1
29.8
Total income (net of payouts to players)
1997-98
$m
r 2,525.8
2,709.7
r 2,646.2
r 7,881.6
2000-01
$m
1,630.1
3,136.8
4,776.2
9,543.0
Change
%
-35.5
15.8
80.5
21.1
Operating profit before tax
1997-98
$m
r 215.3
-287.9
r 482.1
r 409.4
2000-01
$m
110.0
536.8
710.9
1,357.7
Change
%
-48.9
. .
43.7
227.2
Operating profit margin
1997-98
%
r 4.5
-10.8
r 4.0
2.1
2000-01
%
6.8
17.4
14.9
14.3
(a) Includes TAB agencies.
r revised
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
. . not applicable
Copyright ã Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002