'I didn't even know they gambled': An 'invisible' factor in suicide
A researcher says data on gambling-related suicides underestimates the crisis "devastating people and families".
Warning: This story contains discussion of addiction and suicide.
Last month, Paul Fung's friend took his life after battling a gambling addiction.
Mr Fung has lost people to gambling before, some of whom never sought help.
"The ramifications, for family, partner, somebody they know … [they have] to investigate what has occurred without them actually knowing because the story has been untold," he said.
"I've heard a lot of that … I didn't even know they gambled."
Mr Fung knew what it was like to live with a debilitating gambling addiction.
"I woke up not needing to brush my teeth, have a shower, eat or do anything — the need was to get money to gamble," he said.
Mr Fung started moving countries to avoid debt, and at his worst, he lost $1 million in online gambling in about 10 days after stealing from a mortgage that was placed under his name.
Paul Fung is a recovering gambling addict who now advocates against gambling harm. (Supplied: Paul Fung)
Mr Fung found recovery, faced his debts, and co-founded Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts (GHLEE) in 2022 to help others.
Since starting GHLEE, he said it had been incredibly frustrating and painful to watch the government stalling on gambling policy reform.
Australia has the highest rate of gambling losses per capita in the world, losing close to $32 billion a year.
A survey found the number of Australian adults who had gambled at least once in the past 12 months rose from 57 per cent in 2019 to 65 per cent in 2024. (ABC News: Jessica Hayes)
Gambling-related suicide
Federation University gambling researcher Angela Rintoul found 4 per cent of suicides in Victoria between 2009 and 2016 were gambling-related, but said the number was likely far higher.
Dr Rintoul said authorities needed to know when a suicide was linked to gambling.
"Whether gambling was involved [in a suicide] or not really only comes out spontaneously during the death investigation if a witness, family or a friend mentions it or knew about it, or whether someone thinks to ask about it," she said.