Harvard Addiction Expert Says Online Gambling No Problem

Dr. Howard Shaffer also says that, despite the exponential increase in gambling in the US over the last twenty years, the rate of problem gambling among the general population has stayed the same.

The director of Harvard Medical School's Division of Addictions says that, surprisingly, online gambling shows players using more restraint and control than at land-based casinos. Dr. Howard Shaffer also says that, despite the exponential increase in gambling in the US over the last twenty years, the rate of problem gambling among the general population has stayed the same.

Using the worst enemy of religious, family-first demagogues, scientific research, Dr. Shaffer says,"The very first thing we learned (studying Internet gambling patterns), which we didn't expect, was that the vast majority, the overwhelming majority of gamblers online gamble in a very moderate and mild way."

Dr. Shaffer goes to explain that the scientific community has predicted that increased gambling proliferation would lead to an increase of gambling disorders, but that has not been the case. In fact, the incidence of problem gambling among the population has ever so slightly declined from the '70s until today, from 0.7 percent to 0.6 percent.

Dr. Shaffer states the online casino prohibition is unenforceable and will probably never work, but that education, public awareness programs, and truth in advertising regulation all can help keep gambling safer.

Dr. Shaffer asserts that surveys show the strong majority in the US want to be able to gamble, and they would like to be able to gamble online. Considering his learned opinion that prohibitory systems do not work, he thinks the people of the US ought to have the freedom to choose online casinos.

"In a democratic society, a society that values liberty, most people think they (US players) should have the opportunity to gamble."