Gambling has always been a sensitive thing for many people. Those who spend a lot of time gambling online will know that it can be all too tempting to keep going with a certain online casino game if you are on a winning streak. Actually taking your winnings and quitting a game is something that most people find difficult to do. But when does online gambling become an actual problem? When does your gambling turn into something that is always at the back of your mind or into something that you make up excuses about?

In the UK research has been done into the exact figures when it comes to people who are addicted to gambling. Knowing when to quit is apparently still a very difficult thing with UK online casino players. The findings from this newly published online gambling report state that while the present day level of problem gambling has not increased significantly it is still at the relatively high level as it was 8 years ago when the first online gamblers started playing on the Internet. The report has been issued by the UK’s Interactive Gaming Council (IGC).

This council has been established by members of different large online gambling companies and is headed by representatives from the PartyGaming Company as well as from online gambling software developing company  CryptoLogic. The well-researched report now argues that there has been very little change in the problem gambling statistics since their last report in 1999. A significant fact is the percentage (around 0.6%) of the population aged 16 and above who are being affected by their online gaming addictions. The report concludes that it is important for online gaming companies to put a bigger emphasis on research and gambling addiction prevention.  

John Fitzgerald who is the chief executive of ICG think that these reports are invaluable when it comes to gaining insight into the online gambling behaviour or the regular online game player in the UK. Even though he is quite happy with the fact that the online gambling problem figures have not grown over the past year, there is no reason to be complacent about this. The programs to prevent gambling addiction should be continually developed and adapted to be able to signal any problems for regular player in a timely fashion.

One problem gambler is one too many and the effect of a gambling addiction can have devastating results for a person and their family as the problem does not just stop at spending too much time on gambling on the Internet. The life of a problem gambler is often laced with financial problems, excuses and lies. Online gambling addictions can tear families apart.