Gambling Addiction

Online gambling has made access to the activity much more convenient. Previously, those with gambling addictions had to travel to find a casino but now, gambling is only a click away. But, can we blame online casinos for online gambling addiction? Has there been an increase in the number of problem gamblers since the inception of online gambling?

Statistics state that 3-5% of the population of large cities suffer from online gambling addiction. Only 5% of this number knows that they are addicted and agree to seek help. However, Carol O’Hair, director of Nevada’s Council on Problem Gambling, states that it is not online gambling that breeds problem gamblers. She states: “problem gambling is not going to go away because somebody takes [casinos] off the internet”.

Online gambling addiction cannot simply be blamed on the availability of online casinos. In exactly the same way that people found ways to drink during prohibition, those who are addicted to gambling will find a way to do so even if online casinos are banned. The solution is not in prohibiting the operation of online gambling websites but education about the issue.

Whether it is smoking, drinking or gambling, it is not the accessibility of the medium that cause people to become addicted to certain things. Addictions manifest themselves in people who have addictive personalities, so the solution should lie within educating the public about how to prevent addictions and stop addictive behavior once it has started.