UK Problem Gambling Survey Finds Unusual Online Casino Results
A new study of online casinos and their patrons funded by the UK Gambling Commission has returned drastically different results than other scientific surveys from around the world. Curiosity at findings which vary radically from numerous other studies, including reports from Harvard Medical School, the government of South Africa, and the National Council on Problem Gambling, led some gaming experts to wonder about the impartiality of the project's authors.The study, using figures from the British Gambling Prevalence Study, concludes that problem gambling is ten times more prominent among online casino patrons than among gamblers who use land-based gaming. But Dr. Howard Shaffer of Harvard Med found, after a two-year study, that Internet gambling had a lower rate of problem gambling than land-based casinos.
Professor Dan Rose of the National Responsible Gambling Program of South Africa also found unexpected results in that online gambling figures showed less problem gambling than land venues. Keith Whyte of the US National Council on Problem Gambling says that studies show no variance in compulsive gambling figures between online gambling or land-based gaming, loose laws or prohibition.
The UK survey was led by Dr. Mark Griffiths, in collaboration with Professor Jim Orford.
“This study’s findings suggest that the medium of the Internet may be more likely to contribute to problem gambling than gambling in offline environments," Dr. Griffiths remarked to EGamingReview.
But a review of the British scientists' backgrounds reveals potential bias, and a need for peer review of the study's mathematical composition. Dr. Griffiths is noted for rejecting the theory of addictive personality, in which it is not the substance causing the problem but a mental disorder common to all abuse issues, even though a slew of studies suggest that addictive behavior crosses categories and may be related to dopamine production.
Professor Orford announced two years ago he was searching for allies for his new organization, StopGam, to prevent the liberalization of gambling laws and the spread of gambling in the UK.
The study's validity has yet to be determined, but a publication by two scientists who apparently have preconceptions before testing needs to be thoroughly examined before acceptance.
