Author: Ryan D
The UK Gambling Commission has issued statistics in which they claim that 8%
of adults surveyed had participated in at least one form of online gambling.
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Their interest it seems, is to determine the nature of gambling activity and
its financial impact within the United Kingdom. But based on the limited
research that was conducted and presented, it appears safe to assume that whilst
they are focused on establishing the impact of growth in the online gaming
industry, they are not as yet concerned with the financial and emotional well
being of gamblers who are struggling with addiction. With the lack of
comprehensive research detailing all pros and cons within the online gaming
sector, there has been a surge of falsified and unverified statistics, mainly
from unreliable or biased sources on both sides of the fence.
A religious group in the United States, 'Focus on the Family" announced that
one in fourteen problem gamblers attempt suicide in their lifetime. However, the
academic whom they sourced their information from adamantly denied that these
"facts" were true. Another anti-gambling icon, John Kindt, claimed that he had
evidence to support the fact that gambling in no way stimulated product or job
creation, but this seems totally unfounded when considering that the new MGM
Mirage City Center in the USA will provide 12 000 jobs. Earl Grinols, purported
to be a specialist in his field, testified in a Florida court that gambling was
directly linked to increased rates in crime, but this was countered by a
Hallandale State representative who produced evidence that showed a dramatic
drop in crime statistics following the establishment of their new state casino
two years earlier.
It appears, that for every negative argument regarding online gambling, there
is contrary evidence from the pro camp to suggest otherwise. Jeremy Hunt, Shadow
Culture Secretary of the United Kingdom, has issued a statement claiming that
nearly one in ten online gamblers suffer from an addiction problem. The source
of his information is unclear, but without adequate research and verified
statistics, this claim can neither be refuted, nor can it be ignored. The
dilemma is that legislation regarding online gambling cannot be altered to
protect problem gamblers until sufficient, irrefutable research has been
conducted.
One thing does remain clear though, and that is that gambling addiction does
exist, and online gambling is easily accessible and all too alluring for any
gambler. Using the internet as a means to participate in gambling, allows
consumers to access and download as many sites as they choose and to participate
in betting for prolonged periods of time without having to physically remove
themselves from their computers and reflect on the amount of money they are
spending. With online casinos, firmware is not able to be audited and inspected
with the same degree of certainty that physical gambling machines can, and these
internet server-based applications are in essence impossible to authenticate for
honest operations. So, unless a gambler is participating in betting with
variable outcomes, such as sports betting, they are at risk of being duped by
online casino operators. The effect that all these circumstances pose to problem
gamblers is immense, primarily because he/she will continue to gamble in the
hope of recouping losses, which in essence is virtually impossible.
Posted by Ryan D at 01:33 on 26 May 2009
