According to the Australian Productivity Commission, people often underestimate how much people spend on various items, like transportation, clothing, etc. “For gambling, if we say we have spent $100, on average we have really spent $735. Then there are the pokies [electronic gambling machines]. On average, if pokie players say they have spent $100, they have actually spent $3448. That’s not a misprint: they are apparently aware of just 2.9 per cent of what they are losing.” Would receipts or a record of spending help people become more aware of how much they spend? Absolutely.

Problem Gamblers Can’t Judge Cost of Electronic Gambling Machines