The British Gambling Commission has found that three-point-five million citizens are frequenting online casinos. An official report on the nature of British gambling was released Wednesday to overwhelming media attention. It was anticipated that much of the report was going to focus on online casino betting, as the medium has done nothing but grow steadily in the last decade. What probably wasn’t expected, however, was the shocking revelations that the survey found about the true extent of British online gambling, and the sheer volume of Britons who are spending their time and money exploring the vast domain of internet casinos: a six-fold increase in the space pf just five brief years.
The Gambling Commission report found that around seven percent of British online casino patrons are “problem gamblers.” In other words, these citizens have compromised their personal lives by an online gambling addiction involving such games as internet poker and slots. These internet casino addicts join the estimated quarter-million Brits who are addicted to non-computerized forms of gambling, such as lotteries, horse racing, and sports betting. Obviously, the people of the UK enjoy playing their luck – but there is no doubt that there will be backlash directed at online casinos, as well as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Parliament, who passed the controversial measure that allowed Brits access to these sites.
There is much scrutiny of online casino gambling, much more than there is directed at land-based types of play. Internet casinos have made it much more convenient for players to get their “fix:” at any time of day, without leaving their homes or offices, citizens can find a place to bet their money. With near-universal credit card acceptance, that aspect isn’t a problem, either. It is estimated that a full ten percent of all players frequenting online casinos are unhealthily attached to gambling. The results of the Gambling Commission’s report are sure to land these businesses in hot water.
