Consumer engagement with and perceptions of offshore online gambling sites

Many jurisdictions have legalised and licensed online gambling sites. Nonetheless, a notable proportion of the online gambling market operates offshore. Offshore sites pose risks for consumers in terms of unsafe and disreputable practices, compete with domestically-licensed sites, and do not participate in the economies in which they operate. This study aimed to explore the extent to which Australian online gamblers use offshore as compared to domestic gambling sites, consumer attitudes, and gambling-related harms. Participants (N=3,199) completed an online survey assessing gambling behaviour, reasons for choosing sites, awareness of and impact of online gambling legislation, and problem gambling. Results show that 25.8% of online gamblers used offshore sites, and that these were more involved gamblers overall than domestic gamblers, and had greater problem gambling severity. Most online gamblers preferred domestic sites, indicating that regulation of online gambling with associated consumer protection measures may benefit those who wish to gamble online.This paper is based on research commissioned by Gambling Research Australia - a partnership between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments. Subsequent funding for further analysis was provided by the Australian Communication and Media Authority. GRA and the ACMA had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication. Dr. Gainsbury is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award (project number DE160100459) funded by the Australian Government