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Page 1 of 2 From the CAP news room comes this breakdown of a recent Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health report by InfoPowa news service. The topic: Why do Internet gamblers prefer to play online, instead of at brick-and-mortar casinos?
Although dated mid-2007, this study of online gambling by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada still makes for interesting reading.
University of Lethbridge academics were involved, with funding from the Alberta Gaming Research Institute. The survey used a qualitative and quantitative Internet-based survey of 1,920 Internet gamblers in North America -- not as significant or comprehensive as that done by eCOGRA, which sampled an international cross section of more than 11,000, but perhaps more focused on the reasons why gamblers use the Internet vs. land venues. I think what surprised us most was the absence of a reference to eCOGRA's much wider study conducted by the University of Nottingham Trent. This may be purely a question of availability when the Canadian study was completed. Here are a few "cherry picked" points from the survey: The primary reasons people gave for preferring Internet gambling were (a) the relative convenience, comfort, and ease of Internet gambling; (b) an aversion to the atmosphere and clientele of land-based venues; (c) a preference for the pace and nature of online game-play; and (d) the potential for higher wins and lower overall expenditures when gambling online. Findings suggest that online venues may offer their clientele a range of experiences and benefits that are perceived to be unavailable at land-based venues. Current industry estimates suggest that the worldwide number of Internet gamblers is at least 14 million and possibly as high as 23 million (American Gaming Association, 2006a; RSe Consulting, 2006), although these figures have not been investigated or confirmed by rigorous academic research. Researchers have, however, attempted to assess the overall Internet gambling prevalence rate among the general population in particular jurisdictions. Observed rates have been consistently low, with most studies conducted in the late 1990s and early 2000s finding prevalence rates below 2% Another online study of 552 Internet gamblers commissioned by the American Gaming Association, in 2006, found that 68% were male, 70% were under 40 years old, 61% had at least a college degree, 41% earned more than $75,000 a year, almost all of them used the Internet for other activities, and 70% had only begun gambling online in the past 2 years
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