Familiar Falsehoods Again Used to Discredit Online Gambling

A Canadian newspaper attacked the decision of the British Columbia lottery to expand online gambling, even though the paper had apparently done no fact-checking on the subject.

After an announcement by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation that it is introducing online casino games and expanding the maximum weekly betting limit, the Victoria Times-Colonist issued an editorial criticizing the decision, But a gaming expert says the newspaper didn't do its due diligence in checking the facts about online gambling and problem gaming.

Online Casino Advisory senior gambling analyst Sherman Bradley states that the paper's assertion that online gambling hurts families and leads to uncontrolled growth of problem gambling is incorrect.

"Research has shown online gamblers have a higher risk of becoming addicted and getting into trouble," said the paper.

"But all recent evidence shows that, despite expectations otherwise, online gambling actually has only a very mild risk of problem gambling incidents," says Bradley. "The newspaper combines unsubstantiated statements with the results of the US National Gambling Impact Study Commission of 1999.

"But that committee has been discredited by the political, rather than scientific, makeup of the group, as well as its prejudicial stance toward its inevitable conclusions. The commission was made up of several religious fringe leaders, including James Dobson, as well as Terry Lanni of MGM Mirage and other land-based casino insiders."

Bradley pointed out that numerous more scientific surveys since then have concluded online gambling is far safer than land-based casinos, in the face of seemingly obvious reasoning.

"The Times-Colonist may have points it wishes to make about online gambling, but it should do some research into the truth before publishing tired, disproved arguments," Bradley closed.