Australia was originally a huge and underpopulated country with only 3.2 people per square kilometre. It often seems quiet and deserted. However, there are often loud voices and excitement in Australian casinos. It can be said that gambling is popular in Australia and many people are involved in it. How has this sphere evolved in the country? Let’s study this topic in detail.
Current situation
In Australia, iGaming is quite popular: this type of entertainment involves more than 80% of adult Australian residents, which is the highest indicator in the world. Australians spend 1.6 thousand dollars more annually than residents of other countries. Ranked second, Singaporian gambling losses per capita are only $650, compared to $990 in Australia.
It is very convenient to participate in gambling in Australia. The way of playing also has a variety of options. Professional casinos, various lotteries, and betting on events are widespread, but the most widely used method of gambling is slot machines. To get more information about the current state of the casinos in Australia you can visit Clash of Slots.
Historical and cultural roots
Australia has become a gambling land due to its history and has its own unique historical and cultural roots. Before North America became independent, the British sent large numbers of criminals to their colony in North America every year. After the US became independent, Britain opened up Australia’s far east as a place of exile for criminals.
At that time Britain was in the Georgian era, and gambling was one of the most important social activities. During this time, the Australian colonial government was not very concerned about such an addiction because it had to deal with more difficult things, such as various natural disasters, extreme climate, all kinds of strange creatures and poisonous animals, hunger, etc. So, poor people started to engage in cockfighting and dogfighting, as well as dice.
Soon after Macaulay became a governor, he held one-day horse racing, cockfighting, and snake fighting competitions near Sydney. Of course, people made stakes on these events. The consent of the colonists allowed the industry to develop.
Gold rush and gambling
Numerous gold-seekers moved to Australia and risked everything for the only purpose — to find gold and become rich. If you can dig a large gold mine, you can get rich overnight. This nationwide gold rush, regardless of class, occupation, or religious belief, led to the creation of Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne. Gold miners came from all over the world and brought many games with them. The gold-diggers returned to the city and used large quantities of the newly mined gold as money for bets, and gambling.
World wars’ heritage
During many overseas operations, Australians have come a long way playing popular gambling games. Naturally, the number of gambling games on the battlefield was very limited. The most popular was a simple game called “two-up.” The player flips two coins and the player bets on their side.
On the battlefield of World War I, there is still such a story: when a Turkish pilot flew a fighter jet to attack an Australian camp, he was surprised to see Australian soldiers watched coins thrown into the sky and buried their heads when coins fell down to the ground. The Turkish pilot thought it was a sacred religious event. At that time, the enemy could offend the gods, so he raised his plane and returned. Today, people play this game to honour the memory of Australian soldiers in World War I.