Canadian Problem Gambling Solutions

May 26, 2011 | News Category: Online Casinos

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A new research paper has recently been published in The Lancet. The Lancet is a well-respected medical journal that can be found both online and in print. The research paper is about gambling disorders, covering the topics of pathological gambling and problem gambling.

Although the article does note that it is difficult to determine how many adults are actually affected by this disorder worldwide, it estimates that between 0.2 - 5.3% of adults are affected. It notes, however, that the number varies greatly from region to region, partially because of the availability of gambling to the population, and also because the standards for measuring whether an individual has gambling problems is somewhat subjective and also varies from region to region.

Having noted that, however, the research paper does have suggestions in how to combat gambling problems. Since many Canadian provinces have been opening their legislation to online gambling and other gambling, the Globe and Mail newspaper in Canada reported on The Lancet's research paper, and noted a number of interesting points.

It was noted that many governments that have financial challenges often rely on the revenue that they can obtain by having legalized gambling in their country or provinces. Recently, many areas have been legalizing and regulating online gambling too. This makes gambling more available to all who wish to take part. Responsible administrations take into account that more people than ever before will have access to gambling in this changing world.

The research paper also discusses that many who have gambling problems have them because they overestimate the chance they have of winning, or have a false idea that they will have control over whether they will win the game or not. Problem gamblers also believe that they will end up with a large win after a long series of losses.

There is much information that can be found in articles on Casino People regarding the odds of winning, the house edge, and many other topics that clearly explain that online gambling is affected by chance, even where skill is involved in the game, and that the online casino has to win at least a little more than it loses, otherwise operators would not be able to stay in business.

Dr. David Hodgins from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the lead author of the research paper. Hodgins is a clinical psychologist professor. He said: "There's just been growing recognition just how many people are affected by gambling problems. He then added, "If you really look at the impacts on people and their families, they're pretty devastating."

Dr. Hodgins and his colleagues estimate that only about 10 percent of those with gambling problems actually seek out some kind of therapy. He notes that a simple questionnaire can help those who have gambling problems detect the behavior patterns that lead to it.