University Study of Gambling
The University of Western Ontario has
conducted a study about the nature of gambling and its effects
on the people who partake frequently in the activity. With so
many conflicting opinions on gambling and how to regulate it,
the University decided to take on the task of getting to the
bottom of all the many rumors and truths. Any studies done by
lobbying groups for and against gambling groups can be said to
be automatically biased, so it’s usually beneficial for any
situation when a partial, academic body gets involved.
Also, these past couple years have been
some of the most dramatic we’ve seen, as people on either side
know that the decisions made right now will set the tone and lay
the groundwork for further legislation and the future direction
of online and land poker and casino rooms across the country.
Especially with the weak and vague legislation of the Unlawful
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, people on either side are in
need of some direction and clear guidelines.
The University’s study focused on the
differences in the effects of gambling in online and land poker
rooms and casinos. What they found was a true difference in the
behaviors of both types of gamblers. Led by June Cotte, the team
interviewed 30 different people, and focused on how the images
on the screen affect how each of them feels. The emotional
reaction to winning or losing has a huge bearing on the
attachment and experience that a player has. One that is not
really affected by a loss, and can keep playing, is prone to
developing a habit. The same player is usually the type to
really enjoy the positive payoff, and also reinforce a gambling
addiction.
Internet gambling also lacks the
atmosphere and other factors that come into land casinos. An
online poker player, for instance, would be playing just for the
thrill of the game, and not for any other reasons that a land
poker player would be seeking.
The professor released a series of
recommendations for the regulation of online poker and casinos,
based on her findings.
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