Australian online gambling activity has shot up by two-thirds since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, although it’s not perhaps the great cause for alarm that anti-gambling campaigners are making it out to be.

Data published weekly by economic analysts AlphaBeta and credit bureau Illion show online gambling transactions were up 67% in the week ending March 29 compared to a ‘normal’ week. That represented the highest growth among the 18 categories studied from the sample of 250k Aussies.

While essentials such as supermarkets and pharmacies also enjoyed growth, the biggest gainers next to gambling were alcohol & tobacco (+33%), online retail & subscription services (+61%), food delivery (+63%) and home improvement (+64%).

The week in question marked the first since the Australian government launched its economic stimulus package, and saw a 10-point rise in overall discretionary spending (which remains 16% below normal).