Legalising Online Gambling does not Equate to more Gambling Addiction
This was published 31-05-2010There are many people against the idea of legalising online gambling. Somehow, they think that making it legal will lead to hordes of people constantly playing online poker in their pajamas without ever getting up again.
These naysayers are also scared that this online poker pajama brigade will turn into zombies because of staring at their computers too much. And that the fact that they are not dealing with real cash or cashiers, will push them over the limit of their initial online poker budget.
That’s probably why the government decided to pass the Interactive Gambling Act in 2001. Strangely though, most of us are still not sure whether it’s strictly legal or not to bet at our online poker hall. And many online poker halls have more than doubled their client base since 2001.
Nine years later, a Productivity Commission report apparently recommended that online gambling be legalised in order to be regulated. This recommendation is sensible, as so many of us are already gambling online anyway. If online gambling was to be regulated, it would be easier to identify and possibly exclude problem gamblers. In general, problem gamblers tend to be the ones who fall in the lower income category. It’s this get rich quick mentality that drives them to bet ‘just one more time’ in order to win that ‘great big jackpot.’
The truth is, however, that studies have actually shown that online gambling is less addictive than gambling at a brick and mortar establishment. Although playing online poker at home is real convenient, it is not as addictive and enthralling as going in person, and being influenced by the lights, music, alcohol, and hot waitresses…
I believe that if online poker halls are to become legal, government and legislators has to ensure that they protect the consumer first and foremost, and only then think about all the tax dollars they can make.
Poker chips photo by Jam Adams
