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Another Defense of Online Casinos
While all the talk rages about how socially
irresponsible it is to regulate online casinos and how Internet gambling
will supposedly create a army of problem gamblers, all the statistics
seem to indicate otherwise.
Dr. Howard Shaffer, the director of Harvard Medical
School’s Division of Addictions says that studies reveal that players at
online casinos are displaying more self restraint and personal
responsibility that players at brick and mortar casinos. Gambling has
certainly increased in the United States and Dr. Shaffer does not deny
that online casinos have had a hand in that, but in the mean time the
rate of problem gambling has remained the same.
“The very first thing we learned (studying gambling
patters at online casinos), which we didn't expect, was that the vast
majority, the overwhelming majority of gamblers online gamble in a very
moderate and mild way,” explained Dr. Shaffer.
It is logical and even understandable to assume
that the increased access to gambling activity ushered in by the success
of online casinos would lead to an increase in problem gambling rates.
According to Dr. Shaffer, not only is that untrue but it appears that
incidences of problem gambling are in a slight decline since the
1970’s. Problem gambling cases may have decrease by has much as 0.6 to
0.7 percent.
Dr. Shaffer is of the mind that the best way to
prevent problem gambling is to continue to educate the public about such
behavior. He believes it be much more useful than the prohibition of
online casinos, legislation the doctor considers unenforceable.
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