A flurry of news articles has raised concerns over a likely surge in problems related to Internet gambling, primarily focused on the degree to which the Internet might increase the ease of access to opportunities by those addicted to gambling. The OII has recently joined with others to study the clinical and psychological characteristics of Internet gamblers, with the aim of helping to identify problems, and help devise approaches for individuals and responsible gambling sites to address them. See: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/project.cfm?id=40
At this point in time, Internet gambling is limited to about 10 percent (9%) of Internet users in Britain (Dutton, W.H., di Gennaro, C., and Hargrave, A. M. (2005), ‘The Internet in Britain’. Oxford: OII, May, p. 21: Available online at: <http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/project.cfm?id=8>) We will continue to track the popularity of Internet gambling, but also survey those who gamble online, seeking to identify the factors contributing to problems.
My colleagues and I would greatly appreciate comments, particularly from those aware of related research.
Dr Adria, Many thanks for this link and useful steer. We will definitely follow your lead. Bill Dutton
You may want to be aware of a Canadian research institute looking at gambling in general with a related interest in online gambling. This is the Alberta Gaming Research Institute. This is a government-sponsored, but relatively autonomous, research institute examining the benefits/drawbacks of state-sponsored gambling. The June/July 2006 reports on initiatives related to online gambling. http://www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta.ca/