Online gambling is legal in some countries of the world and illegal in others. However, there are many states in the United States that allow gamblers to play poker, sports betting, and other casino games online.
For the most part, online gambling has been regulated on a state by state basis. In fact, the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on online wagering policies.
A report from Frost & Sullivan revealed that online gambling revenues in the United States exceeded $830 million in 1998. Though some online operators have shared their data for research purposes, most studies on Internet gambling are cross-sectional in nature.
One study found that regular gamblers were six times more likely to participate in online gambling than non-gamblers. Similarly, there is a lot of speculation regarding the causal role of the Internet in the emergence of gambling problems.
While the Internet is a powerful tool, there are still limitations in its ability to detect indicators of risk. Fortunately, there are a number of strategies that online gambling operators have employed in order to reduce the risk of problem gamblers.
As the number of players in the online gaming market continues to grow, there are also opportunities for abuse. Gambling sites can monitor user behavior using algorithms and targeted notifications. If a player is exhibiting signs of problematic gambling, the operator may decide to cut off access or terminate the account.
There is a strong correlation between the popularity of an Internet gambling site and the incidence of problem gambling. The most common method of detection is a combination of algorithms and a thorough analysis of the player’s behavior.