Call for action to address gambling harm as report finds Australians lose average of $1,600 a year

Grattan Institute says losses in Australia are double those in the US, and poker machines are more common in Australian suburbs than ATMs

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Australians lose almost twice as much from gambling as people in the US, and poker machines - the biggest single source of losses - are more common in the nation's suburbs than public toilets, ATMs and post boxes, a new report has found.

The Grattan Institute report - A better bet: How Australia should prevent gambling harm - concludes that to limit the damage from gambling, the government needs to not only ban gambling ads but introduce a mandatory pre-commitment loss limit for online gambling and poker machines.

Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email