Online gambling not to blame for addiction

In the gambling news recently there are reports that suggest problem gambling is on the increase although it concerns Britain rather than Irish gambling. There is no suggestion in the reports that online gambling is in any way to blame but gambling.ie considers that the Fixed Odds betting machines (FOBTs) in bookmakers shops in the UK may be to blame as they have been subject to scrutiny for some time. Problem gambling is likened to any other form of addiction such as alcohol or drugs and as such drugs are being prescribed which are intended to subdue the craving. This is a result of a rise of some 30% in cases being referred to the Problem Gambling clinic in London. The problem is that these drugs cost nearly £10000 per year per patient and some reports in the online gambling news suggest there could be half a million problem gamblers in the UK. Gambling online should remain fun and the latest promotion adopted by of the online gambling companies “when the fun stops, stop” should be adhered to. Interestingly enough some reports suggest that it is difficult to control online gambling whilst in the same paragraph suggesting that the problem is FOBTs so why not ban them? Possibly because it remains a good source of income for the government especially with recent tax changes. Other reports in the online gambling news suggest that maybe the Responsible Gaming Trust which is a charity to minimise problem gambling is being funded by the bookmakers which could be a problem and is likely to cause then to take a soft approach to the problem. Ireland is spared a lot of these issues by not allowing those FOBTs into the bookmakers shops but of course gambling online is part of life in Ireland and most people are well in control.