Increasingly, there are more and more people who gamble online. The internet allows people to place larger wagers and receive instant feedback on their bets. There are various forms of online gambling, including sports betting, casinos and virtual poker. It has been noted that the amount of money that is wagered on the internet each day is staggering. While there are many advantages to online gambling, it can also have a negative impact.
Several studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between problem gambling and internet gambling. Research has shown that many gamblers experience problems before they start online gambling. However, the rate of problem gambling is significantly higher for internet gamblers than for non-internet gamblers. Research has also found that some problem gamblers attribute their problems to online gambling.
While most research on Internet gambling has focused on cross-sectional studies, a few longitudinal studies have been conducted. These studies have attempted to identify the characteristics of Internet gamblers at risk. They have also explored the relationships between gambling formats, gambling involvement and gambling problems. However, they have also shown that the level of Internet gambling involvement is not a good predictor of gambling problems.
Gambling problems are often associated with impulsivity. Some studies have found that gamblers who are at risk of problem gambling are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviours. This may be due to the high amount of impulsivity in gamblers who are at risk of problem gamblers. Although the relationship between Internet gambling and problem gambling is unclear, researchers believe that game-specific characteristics may play a causal role in the emergence of gambling problems.
In 2010, the British Gambling Prevalence Survey was conducted. In this study, 16.4% of Internet gamblers were classified as problem gamblers. In contrast, 5.7 % of non-Internet gamblers were classified as problem gamblers. Interestingly, this percentage was lower than the percentage of non-Internet gamblers who were classified as moderate gamblers. This suggests that Internet gambling poses a unique problem for problem gamblers.
A telephone survey of gamblers in Australia found that gamblers who gambled online were less likely to smoke and drink alcohol. However, a study of the internet gambling population in Australia found that problem gamblers were more likely to play casino games than non-problem gamblers. The relationship between Internet gambling and problem gambling is unclear, but researchers are continuing to explore this relationship.
In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the impact of Internet gambling on problem gamblers, researchers need to develop new theoretical models to predict the emergence of problem gambling among Internet gamblers. Research should also explore how Internet gambling behaviour can be integrated with offline gambling behaviour. It should also identify the characteristics of Internet gamblers at high risk of problem gambling. It will also be necessary to determine whether brief online interventions are relevant to Internet gamblers.
Some researchers are working to develop an Internet gambling self-exclusion program. These self-exclusion programs are designed to prevent Internet gamblers from accessing all gambling sites. These programs should be designed in such a way that they can be applied to multiple gambling sites at once. The algorithms used for identifying risk indicators will be critical in this endeavor.