Problem Gambling In Perspective

Published: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

PROBLEM GAMBLING IN PERSPECTIVE

Harvard researcher says severe addiction affects 1 percent of Americans, problem gamblers a further 2 percent

There may or may not be a connection between the annual attempts of some U.S. politicians to put an end to Internet gambling and the slew of media reports on problem gamblers that always seems to accompany it, but this week without understating the dangers of a lack of moderation a Harvard researcher put the incidence of gamblers vulnerable to addiction in perspective.

A Boston newspaper reported the view of Christine Riley, executive director of the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders at Harvard Medical School.

In an article that posed the question: "So is the popularity of online gambling creating hordes of addicts too broke to cover their bets?" the South Bend Tribune quoted Riley as saying, "There's no empirical evidence to support an epidemic among anyone. Even with gambling more available than ever, exposure is not enough to create an addiction."

Riley goes on to say that the percentage of U.S. residents who develop severe gambling addiction is about 1 percent of the population. Another 2 percent are what she describes as "problem gamblers."

Research has shown that gambling problems are often paired with depression and/or substance abuse.