Economic Troubles Increases Problem Gambling

Published on: November 30, 2008 

Gambling has always been a way for some people to find the extra cash they need to make ends meet.  It works for some people.  Unfortunately it doesn’t work for most.  Players who are desperate to meet their obligations may turn to gambling as a last ditch effort, and during an economic crisis compulsive gambling becomes a problem.  According to studies that have been done on gambling, compulsive gambling is actually a symptom of a deeper underlying problem and not the root cause.  In normal circumstances, problem gambling usually happens when there is an existing mental disorder. Effective treatment usually tackles the disorder and not the gambling issue itself.

However, researchers are concerned that there could be a new type of problem gambling emerging with the world’s ever worsening economic crisis.  Researchers and anti-gambling advocates are afraid that players who are looking for a way to meet their financial obligations are going to turn to live casinos or online gambling venues in an effort to prove to themselves that all hope is not lost.  They think that they can take a few dollars and turn it into a few thousand dollars. This is a case where gambling is not the root of the player’s desperation, just the outward sign of the bigger underlying issue, a sign that could eventually become a serious problem.

Forbes magazine, in an effort to study gambling around the world, recently studied the state of gambling in the country of Macedonia.  Macedonia is a country that is plagued by rising taxes, inflation, and stagnating incomes.  Unemployment in the country is around 30%.  40% of the population wagers regularly on sports and close to 70% of the gamblers are simply wagering in an effort to pay bills to support themselves.  Only a third of the population use gambling as a way to have fun and enjoy themselves.

With concerns over problem gambling rising, it falls to the live and online casinos to be vigilant about problem gamblers and gambling.  Online casinos need to be especially careful of this problem because access to games is instantaneous with patrons being able to stay home and not have to travel to live casinos.  They will need to screen their patrons carefully and use the best software available to help keep a new generation of problem gamblers from cropping up.  With the legal and moral concerns that plague the industry, everyone needs to be on their toes to keep a more serious problem from occurring.

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