Online Gambling Addiction – A Hidden Problem
Online gambling is any type of gambling conducted via the internet. This includes casinos, online poker and online sports betting. The first internet gambling venue open to the public, was online ticketing for the prestigious Liechtenstein International Poker Tournament in October 1994. Since then there have been numerous sites that have offered the same service. While some of these sites have become members of the Ecommerce Supervisory Body (ESB) which guards against the fraudulent activities of online gambling sites.
Most gambling sites offer free downloads or software which allows you to gamble online. The software may be downloaded onto your computer and you are able to log into your account. Once there you can start playing either using real money or play money. There is also a virtual money option which allows you to gamble with fake money and play at these same casinos as if you were at an actual location. It is also possible to link your accounts to your bank account so that if you win money in your bank rather than your gaming account.
Many gambling sites offer ‘no deposit’ or ‘no fee’ games. These enable players to play for no monetary gain, but you must be at least eighteen years old and have a legal age to gamble. Players can learn how to gamble from the gambling guides provided by these gambling sites and practice their skills in safe settings. You can practice your skill and strategy against the various computer generated opponents to sharpen your skills before placing real money bets on a live game. You can bet using one of several systems: spread betting, point betting or total betting.
Most state gambling laws restrict both the type and amount of bets that you can make. Gambling is only legal when it involves wagers of cash. Gambling machines are usually comprised of items like slots, video poker machines, roulette and bingo. The use of software that computes maximum bets is now illegal in most states because it may cause gambling machines to pay out more than they have actually been paying out.
In the recent past, software clients allowed gamblers to place bets using their credit card or debit card without ever facing financial responsibility for the bet. It was a much easier way to gamble because no financial risk had to be taken. Unfortunately, recently the practice of using credit card information for Internet gambling has come under scrutiny. Federal authorities have moved to block some of the software from being used because they believe it was being used to facilitate illegal gambling.
Online gambling does not have an immediate harmful impact on society as other types of gambling do. Realistically, online casinos need to provide their customers with a safe environment. However, there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence indicating that people who suffer from internet gambling problems often do not seek help until their problem becomes out of control. Online gambling addiction is a complex disease but there are treatment programs available to help those who suffer from it overcome their addiction.