Science has given us a lot of things to be excited about, especially when it comes to knowing more about ourselves. Scientists have revealed not only the ways in which our body functions at a cellular level but things we would’ve never thought to be possible about our minds. There are still areas of interest that have not been studied nearly enough. The global phenomenon of online gambling, for example, that has been called both dangerous and innocent has been one of the topics with not enough reliable data to go around. At least until recently, when a series of studies conducted by the Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addiction shed some light on the matter.
What is online gambling?
Online gambling is a relatively recent invention – the first online casino was launched a little over two decades ago. Since then, the controversial business has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, undergoing regulation and controversy – but, unfortunately, not enough scientific scrutiny. The popular opinion on the matter is divided: some consider it a dangerous habit, even a sin, while others think of it as a casual, almost innocent form of entertainment.
What is an online casino? If you visit All Slots online casino, you’ll see that it’s very much similar to other online gaming destinations, with one major difference: the All Slots offers its players the chance to actually win money. Much like its social counterparts like DoubleDown or Slotomania, the All Slots also deals in gambling games – slot machines, blackjack, you name it – on a variety of platforms, like desktop computers or mobile phones. It also has a completely free option players can choose. Come to think of it, the All Slots is much like a land-based gambling establishment, only without the need for players to actually leave their home to play their favorite games. As such, it’s a convenient, comfortable, and perhaps cheaper alternative to land-based gambling. Basically, we could consider online casinos to be “casino light”, offering players a similar selection of entertainment options in a familiar environment.
Reliable data
One of the best things about the internet is that it’s measurable. A website owner can have reliable information about said website’s visitor count, how long a visitor spends on a site, and what pages are accessed. In the case of online casinos, the task is even simpler: as they require their players to clearly identify themselves, reliable information can be collected about the playing and spending habits of their visitors. This is the data Harvard’s researchers took a good look at in 2014.
The researchers collected and analyzed the data of tens of thousands of sports bettors, casino players, and online poker players – the customers of one of the largest European online gambling destinations – over the course of two years. The results show that online casino gaming is much closer to casual entertainment than to proper gambling. According to the results, the majority of online casino players bet infrequently and lose small amounts. To be more exact, the study has shown that on average, an online casino player will only play once every two weeks, and lost about 5% of all the money wagered.
Is it all about the environment?
A 2006 paper published by researchers at the University of Guelph has shown that a land-based casino design, the “playground” model, is fueling the gamblers’ desire to play. A personal computer or smartphone doesn’t have the same effect on the player, which might partially explain the moderation shown by internet casino players. Online casinos also lack the social interaction land-based gambling establishments have, which makes them ultimately less attractive as a long-term commitment. Online gambling is a great distraction but only as a casual game, which makes it less dangerous than some might claim.
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Guest Author Bio
Stephen Benton
Stephen Benton has one credo in life: never accept the validity of the information on the internet without being able to confirm it from at least two other sources. As such, he refuses to believe the mainstream media – he has seen way too many news reports with the exact same words on a surprisingly large number of online news outlets to trust it. Instead, he prefers to find the controversies, and pursue them until he finds the flaws (and they are usually there).
An experienced blogger, an avid gamer, and a fan of slot machines, Stephen often writes about unusual forms of online entertainment.
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