According to a recent report by compulsive gambling expert and social worker Howard Slayton, internet gambling may actually reduce the risk of a person being a problem gambler.
Slayton says “Land casinos create an environment that envelopes the customer, leading to disconnection with reality and opening up avenues for problem gambling impulses to take over. But online casinos have no such atmosphere.”
He continued, “Every detail at brick and mortar casinos is designed in minute detail to lure in players and trap them. Nells and whistles confuse while giving an otherworldly air to gambling floors, lending an illusion of escape to a colourful and inviting world. Clocks and windows are absent, preventing the sudden injection of reality they might generate.”
He explained that online casinos do not offer this kind of shielded experience, allowing players to stay grounded. “Online casino play is subject to the ring of a phone, the honk o f a horn, the waking of a child. People entertaining themselves on the Internet are in the midst of their lives, able to keep a steady hold on imperatives.”
At present, the number of US players who are playing at online casinos is steadily increasing, but the average deposit amount has shrunk during the current recession. Players are watching their budgets, and playing with restraint, but they are still playing.
$7,159,773
$1,502,157
$5,288,206