Female
Gamblers on Rise in Online Casinos
New surveys have shown that the number of women
gambling in online casinos has risen considerably over the last
few years.
Now that the internet has opened up a world of options to
people, new reports are finding that the numbers of women who
gamble in online casinos is gaining increasing steadily and in
some areas of gaming they out number men. In the UK in 2000 one
of the largest charities dealing with gambling addiction
reported that 2% of its callers were women. In the second half
of 2005 the percentage had gone up to 18%.
The increase in numbers has been put down to the growing
popularity of online casinos. Women see online casinos as a
safer place for them than betting shops and regular land based
casinos and because of the accessibility of online casinos, more
women are joining in.
The appeal of the online casinos is more akin to the appeal and
escapism of online shopping. The addiction stems from living a
double life, a fantasy life, more glamorous and less mundane,
where they feel in control of things but in fact the opposite is
true.
There has always been a stigma attached for women and gambling.
Most women agree that betting shops and casinos are seedy and
they wouldn't frequent such places but, in online casinos they
can satisfy their addiction and remain anonymous. As the online
casinos industry increases, the nature of gambling becomes
de-stigmatized due to the fact it is so accessible. As more
people are exposed to gambling many people believe the problem
of gambling addiction will increase.
There are estimated to be approximately 1,700 online casinos
operating from locations all over the world at the moment. These
online casinos offer every imaginable option to gamblers, Poker,
Blackjack, Bingo, Roulette and sports betting, if you can thing
of a casino game, you will find it in many of the online
casinos, there is something to suit everybody and of course
these establishments are open 24 hours a day.
What options are available to a person who feels their gambling
is getting out of control?
Many support groups for gambling addicts are emerging due to the
explosion of online casinos and there are help lines to call
around the clock if that person feels the addiction is spiraling
out of control. The best advice is to get help as soon as you
feel it becomes a problem and not to let it worsen.
Many countries, in particular America are trying to get the
online casinos industry banned. The online casinos argue that it
is everybody's right to gamble if they choose, but doing it
responsibly is a different story. Some casinos have begun giving
tips to stay in control, which is a positive step.
Gambling will never be eliminated and it probably shouldn't be
but it is up to the industry to help emphasize the dangers of
addictive gambling and to act responsibly to the gamer.
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