Internet Gambling
Internet Gambling: A Casino In Every Home And Office. Today, anyone with a personal computer and modem, interactive television or a cell phone has the capacity to gamble, virtually creating their own personal casino. Internet gambling is becoming an increasingly popular form of gambling, and there are now an estimated 1,700 gambling websites on the Internet and the number is expected to grow.
The convenience of gambling at home, the ease of setting up a gambling account and the variety of forms of gambling - from traditional betting, to casino gambling, bingo and lotteries - makes online gambling very appealing; that appeal leads to increased risk of problems with this new form of gambling.
Risks Of Internet Gambling It is illegal Too easy to access: the ability to gamble 24 hours a day Too solitary: you can gamble in your own home undetected and unnoticed Increased risk that children will find and use these sites The absorbing nature of computers can lead people to lose track of time while gambling Gambling online enables an accelerated speed of play; for example, casino card games have an average rate of play of around thirty hands per hour, compared to online poker, which can average sixty to eighty hands per hour Persons presenting for gambling treatment who used the internet to gamble presented with more severe problems Decreased perception of the value of cash - i.e. players are forgetting that they are spending real money A gambling site on the other side of the world may or may not be legitimate; there may be very little to prevent the provider of online gambling services from taking one's money and shutting down, or failing to pay winnings Credit card or account details may be vulnerable to capture, and funds may be vulnerable to theft by computer hackers Internet gambling may be vulnerable to invasions of privacy. Information given to casino operators can be used for other purposes; for example, a service that uses telemarketing to convince people to bet on its football betting system may be willing to pay money for a list of Internet sports book players online activity, which appears addictive in its own right for a minority of users, may interact synergistically with the propensity for problem gambling, and thereby increase the number of online problem gamblers
“Although the number of youth playing the lottery has decreased, a recent study highlighted in “Oregon youth and Their Parents: Gambling and Problem Gambling Prevalence and Attitudes” show that many young people are being captured by free on-line gambling sites on the internet.
These sites not only put our youth at risk for identity theft, but are also exposing youth to the heart-pounding thrill of the win with virtual money, priming the pump for real money play later on down the road. These free on-line games are at times difficult to avoid during regular internet use, with pop-up ads for free sites coming into homes at any opportunity.
Parents who take the time to learn about the potential risks and talk with their youth about the risks can help youth make different choices about how they spend their leisure time.
For more information on this study
http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/news/2008news/2008-0529.shtml”
Cell phone gambling is still getting off the ground but, thanks to its convenience and a receptive 20 to 35 year old age bracket, the sector is primed for growth. Global revenues from cell phone based casino games will grow at an accelerated pace through 2008, expanding by nearly 50% from 2006 to 2007, and will likely total over $2.2 billion by 2010 (more than five times the revenues generated in 2004).
Cell phone users in the UK who were surveyed regarding the appeal of cell phone gambling overwhelmingly cited convenience as a benefit (70%), with smaller numbers saying that it was less intimidating and allowed for more discretion.
Cell Phone users in the UK who were surveyed regarding the appeal of cell phone gambling overwhelmingly cited convenience as a benefit (70%), with smaller numbers saying that it was less intimidating and allowed for more discretion.