Whether you are a gambler or not, you should be aware of the potential risks associated with online gambling. In addition to being addictive, online gambling can also carry the risk of criminal activity and access by children. If you are a problem gambler, you can seek help through the many organizations that offer treatment or referral services.
For example, the Department of Justice and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary held hearings to explore the regulation of Internet gambling. The Justice Department attempted to interpret the Interstate Wire Act as applying to all forms of gambling. However, the Fifth Circuit disagreed.
For the most part, the research on the relationship between gambling and problem behavior has been conducted using a single dataset from a European gambling site. This database is limited in the number of individuals that it covers and may not be applicable to other gamblers. In order to conduct a more detailed investigation, researchers must have a variety of player accounts to work with.
There are a few online operators that have implemented strategies to detect and prevent risky players. These strategies, which can be based on algorithms and other data, are used to identify specific indicators that may be pointing to a gambling problem. These methods are not sufficient to accurately predict a gambling problem.
In addition, the results from the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s annual survey indicate that college-aged males have increased their use of online gambling sites. The study found that in 2010, 16 percent of college-aged males had used Internet gambling sites at least once a month. This represented an increase from 4.4% to 16.0% in just one year. The corresponding figures for females were much lower.
Additionally, the United States has a number of states that offer assistance for people who are struggling with their addiction to gambling. If you or someone you know needs help, you can search “Internet Gambling addiction help” plus the name of your state. You can also visit Gamblers Anonymous’ local listings or contact your doctor.
While a growing number of jurisdictions are taking steps to regulate Internet gambling, there are still many questions about the impact of this new form of betting. Some states are not enforcing laws against Internet gambling. Others are taking a different approach and are seeking to expand the scope of Internet gambling. It is not yet clear whether the federal government will preempt these actions.
In light of these issues, it is essential for regulators to collaborate with independent researchers in order to understand the impact of Internet gambling on both consumers and the broader population. This should include the need to improve prevention and treatment strategies for Internet gamblers. It should also include the need to consider the unique problems associated with Internet gambling, such as the impact of electronic payment on sleep patterns.
It is important to conduct research with a wide range of player accounts to more accurately gauge the presence of gambling problems. This requires cooperation between the independent researchers and the online operators.