Research Suggests Traditional Casinos Should Regulate Online Gambling

New research supports legalizing online gambling in North America and suggests land-based casinos should be in charge of regulating the industry. Researchers at the University of Nevada and University of Western Ontario pooled their findings to confirm that online gambling is a $20 billion worldwide industry and many people in the U.S. and Canada frequently participate in illegal online gambling activities.

Researchers interviewed 20 individuals divided equally between those who participated in online gambling and those who played at land-based gambling casinos. In an attempt to understand each respondent’s viewpoint about gambling and propensity to take risks, each subject was interviewed after looking at a series of illustrations. The study confirmed online casino players exhibited more aggression in their gambling attitude and were more likely to take chances than the group used to gambling in a more traditional and controlled brick-and-mortar environment.

Researchers warn that easy access to online gambling from a person’s home computer can lead to a higher rate of gambling addiction because poor gambling habits are easier to hide from home. Similar research conducted at the University of Calgary recently found 1 in 100 people in the U.S. and Canada are estimated to suffer from a compulsive gambling disorder and these people are at greater risk to encounter substance abuse issues.