The morality of online gambling has been the most controversial topic in the debate on regulating the industry. While some people see gambling as a harmless and fun past time, others see it as a dangerous threat to their well-being. Nevertheless, the majority of gambling sites strive to promote fair play, allow players to set loss limits, and allow them to self-exclude if they get addicted to gambling. Further, laws ensure that reputable bodies oversee gambling platforms, and address issues of misconduct.
Internet gambling is growing in popularity. Users can place large bets with ease, and can receive rapid feedback. Furthermore, they can gamble anytime and anywhere from their PCs, even on mobile devices. While the overall prevalence of Internet gambling is still low, participation is increasing rapidly, especially on regulated sites. For example, in Australia, the prevalence of internet gambling increased from 1 percent in 1999 to 8.1% in 2011. In the United Kingdom, a survey conducted in 2014 revealed that 16 percent of respondents had engaged in some form of online gambling within the past 4 weeks.
However, while highly involved gamblers are at a greater risk of developing a gambling problem, those who engage in low-risk activities were also more likely to develop problems. These researchers report that this research does not identify single risk indicators that predict problem gambling. This is important because the findings of this study were based on a single online gambling site and not across a broader population of online gamblers. This means that online gambling participation is not a good indicator of the severity of problem gambling.
While online gambling is legal on the federal level, each state has the right to regulate it in a way that best suits its residents. Online gambling is made up of games of chance and skill. States have different laws regarding this activity, and the list of states that allow gambling is long. Currently, twenty states allow residents to place bets on poker sites and wager on sporting events online. These sites also offer demos of popular Vegas slots. The legality of online gambling is growing throughout the country.
Despite these challenges, however, online gambling continues to grow in popularity. Whether or not online gambling causes gambling problems, its increasing use may lead to a higher percentage of gamblers with gambling problems. Considering that internet gambling participation is growing among younger generations, research needs to focus on integrating online and offline modes of gambling in the same study. The question is, how will we assess the extent of these problems? There are several ways to do so, and a comprehensive literature review can provide an answer.
While most states have legalized online gambling, others have not. In 2011, Rhode Island became the first US state to legalize sports betting. In November of that year, the state became the first in the union to allow online sports betting. Despite a 10% holding requirement, the market has continued to grow. As of January 2021, Virginia also allowed online sports betting. The presence of PokerStars has led to an increase in online gambling in Pennsylvania.
