About The Online Gambling Addiction Concerns

Experts Put Online Gambling Addiction Concerns to Rest

Harvard University recently conducted a study to determine whether online gambling was more addictive than gambling at a brick-and-mortar establishment and the results are in. According to the study, there is no evidence that proves online gambling addictions is any more addictive than its land-based counterpart.

Could Access To Casinos Increase Vulnerability to Gambling Addiction?

Anti-gambling campaigners often talk about how individuals who are exposed to online casinos will be more likely to develop a gambling addiction and this is something that has inhibited the growth of the online gambling market. A study recently conducted by the Addiction division of the Harvard Medical School has found that this isn’t the case at all. The study found that a very small number of the population (which included 4,000 online gamblers) experienced for intense gambling behaviors when compared with the rest of the group. What is more, it has been found that gambling addiction rates have remained relatively constant throughout the past 35 years, even though online betting institutions have popped up throughout the world.

Online Gambling Addiction is a Serious Problem

Problem gaming is a very serious issue and there is no debating this fact. The study has found, however, that having access to online casinos will not increase a person’s likelihood of developing an addiction when compared with a land-based establishment. While many people fear that the introduction of online establishments will create a sudden surge of problem gamblers, this isn’t the case. This doesn’t mean that individuals shouldn’t be wary of the problem and remain alert to the risks involved when playing online, but it does mean that the online casino isn’t as much of a threat to modern society as many people believe.

Responsible Gambling

A recent study has shown that in the year 2013, only about 7% of the 475 billion dollars that was lost in the gambling industry was lost within online casinos. Online casinos have also invested a lot of time and effort into restricting the losses incurred by problem gamblers. These measures include age verification checks, self-exclusion policies and voluntary loss limits, among others.

While online gambling addiction still has its risks, this study highlights the fact that online gaming is no more inherently risky than brick-and-mortar establishments when it comes to the subject of addiction.