Internet gambling apparently no problem after all

bigboydan · 09-19-07, 10:47 AM

Internet gambling apparently no problem after all

It should be freedom of choice indeed!

Internet gambling apparently no problem after all

UK gov survey debunks media hysteria
By Burke Hansen in San Francisco → More by this author
Published Wednesday 19th September 2007 15:05 GMT

The UK National Centre for Social Research today released the long awaited results of the UK Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 and, contrary to hysterical media speculation, there has been no significant change in UK gambling habits since the last survey in 1999.

Many had speculated that the prevalence of internet gambling since the last survey would lead to changes in problem gambling rates and attitudes toward gambling as a leisure activity.

In fact, the report notes, only six per cent of all Brits gambled online at all last year, and the percentage of the population considered to be "problem gamblers" remains unchanged since 1999 at either 0.5 per cent or 0.6 per cent, depending on the metrics used. This suggests the ease of access to gambling on the internet has had no effect on the gambling habits of UK residents.

In descending order, the most popular forms of gambling in the UK went as follows:

1. The National Lottery Draw (57%)

2. Scratchcards (20%)

3. Betting on horse races (17%), and

4. Playing slot machines (14%)

There was only a slight uptick - from 46 per cent to 48 per cent - in the percentage of the population that gambled at all between 1999 and 2007 (that figure excludes those who played the lottery - the true percentage who gambled is considerably higher). The government, via the lottery, proved once again to be the biggest gambling pusher of all.

Overall, Brits viewed gambling as something of a sin, but still considered it to be an activity that consenting adults should be allowed to enjoy. The complete report can be found here.

IWishIWasRich · 09-19-07, 02:13 PM

Maybe Great Britain does not have as many "Holier-than-thou"
jerks in their managing body that want to tell everyone what to do while hiding their own foibles.

cloudagh · 09-19-07, 02:13 PM

And the US had to go ruin it for Canada because of their paranoia, but their states have tons of lottery, horse tracks, and indian casinos. Land of the free (if you are a corporation or government agency).

As you can tell, I am still not not "over" Neteller leaving Canada

Willie Bee · 09-19-07, 03:58 PM

The UK National Centre for Social Research today released the long awaited results of the UK Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 and, contrary to hysterical media speculation, there has been no significant change in UK gambling habits since the last survey in 1999.

Many had speculated that the prevalence of internet gambling since the last survey would lead to changes in problem gambling rates and attitudes toward gambling as a leisure activity.

This reminds me of the same thing years ago when they started letting pubs stay open more hours. Everyone thought this would lead to higher alcoholism rates when, in fact, the opposite turned out to be the case because the patrons weren't so concerned with slamming their pints down in order to be the closing bell.

BrentCrude · 09-19-07, 04:47 PM

If the government is so worried that you will lose money gambling,why don't they outlaw credit cards?At least with gambling you win almost half the time.Oh,I forgot,the economy depends on people consuming,spending and borrowing.

BrentCrude · 09-19-07, 04:52 PM

If the government is so worried about people losing money gambling,why did they give grants and loans to Indian tribes to set up casinos?I live near an Indian casino that is supposed to be sovereign and they have the best of both worlds.They can call their own shots and not have to pay federal taxes on casino profits or follow any federal regualtions and they still get federal and state loans and grants to build casinos.

Then if an employee or patron gets injured in a casino they can't collect workers comp or damages.They don't have to follow smoking ban laws either.Yup,you activist union liberal democrats make sure to keep after Wal Mart for abusing workers rights.hehe! Political correctness trumps charging a minority with workers rights abuses.

Dark Horse · 09-19-07, 07:33 PM

Overall, Brits viewed gambling as something of a sin, but still considered it to be an activity that consenting adults should be allowed to enjoy. The complete report can be found here.

Something of a sin? Language straight from the fundamental Christians. Uncertainty and probability, in their black and white minds, are sinful; as is clear from the certainty with which these biblical folks (below) murder innocent women and children. Unlike anything anti-gambling, this is in the Bible:

32. And Sehon came out to meet us with all his people to fight at Jasa. 33 And the Lord our God delivered him to us: and we slew him with his sons and all his people. 34 And we took all his cities at that time, killing the inhabitants of them, men and women and children. We left nothing of them: 35 Except the cattle which came to the share of them that took them: and the spoils of the cities, which we took. 36 From Aroer, which is upon the bank of the torrent Amen, a town that is situated in a valley, as far as Galaad. There was not a village or city, that escaped our hands: the Lord our God delivered all unto us:

WileOut · 09-19-07, 08:29 PM

From what I am reading we are probably going to be gambling in a regulated environment here in the US at some point in the near future. My worry is about the limits they will impose. Are they going to track every bet you make and then tell you that you cant bet anymore because you've gone over the limit or something? How do they handle this in England?