In 2013, the Victorian coroner found 128 cases in which gambling harm was listed as a significant cause of death between 2000-12 - however, given the stigma surrounding gambling, it’s likely this figure has been grossly understated and under-reported.
There’s no way for us to know the true extent to which people are losing their lives as a result of gambling because these figures aren’t regularly reported on, and the current information is slim.
How can we improve the public health response to mental ill-health without knowledge of the full picture?
Write to your local member and tell them we need regular reporting of gambling-related deaths.