The Relationship Between Online and Offline Gambling

Online Gambling

Despite the fact that the United States federal government has been slow to respond to the development of internet gambling, several US states have started to implement strong online gambling regulations. Some states have even banned or regulated online gambling. However, it will take time before online gambling becomes fully legal in the United States.

Research on the relationship between online and offline gambling has been limited, and most studies have been conducted on cross-sectional patterns. It’s not clear whether or not these patterns reflect the severity of problem gambling. Some studies suggest that Internet gambling may lead to a greater prevalence of problem gamblers. Others posit that the problems are already present for some gamblers. Regardless, it’s important to understand how online gambling affects the gambling behaviour of individuals.

One study has shown that participants who were classified as at-risk or problem gamblers screened positively for both categories. Other research has found that those who participated in Internet gaming were not more likely to suffer from problem gambling than those who didn’t.

A recent Australian study examined the relationship between gambling involvement and problem gambling. This study looked at the prevalence of at-risk and problem gamblers, as well as the gambling formats they used. They also studied the health impacts of problem gambling, including mental health issues and psychological effects.

Compared to at-risk gamblers, problem gamblers reported a higher incidence of psychological effects and health impacts. However, they did not find that the number of gambling activities they engaged in over a 12-month period was a good predictor of problem gambling.