Canadian Study Urges Online Gambling Regulation - 07-17-08

July 17 - The results of a study conducted jointly by the University of Western Ontario in Canada and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas pertaining to online gambling were published this week.

The report strongly urges the governments of both Canada and the United States to step up and legalize and regulate their online gambling industries in order to take control of problem gambling and other areas.

The report said that steps should be taken to contain internet gambling because online players tended to play more aggressively and longer hours.

The study stressed that online gambling could become a problem for the individual because it has the potential to become more addictive that regular casino gambling. "It brings out the gambler's more competitive side," said one of the study's authors, June Cotte, who serves as associate professor of marketing at the University of Western Ontario. "When not seen as reserved solely for an outing or a special occasion, gambling is more likely to become a pernicious, insidiously integrated component of a consumer's life."

To solve the growing problem, the report suggested that the governments of both countries urge large corporations (such as those who run mega resorts in Las Vegas) to enter into a regulated, legal market. The report estimates that the global internet betting market is worth around $10 billion.

A Harrah's spokesman responded to the report that the company had supported a study in the past that investigated the pros and cons of the regulation of online gambling, and stated that the company would be interested in entering a regulated market, depending of course on how the government structured its approach.

Government regulation could mean better control over underage gambling, addictive behavior and cooling off periods, said the report.

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