A new study from the Harvard Medical School’s Division of Addiction found that online gaming does not promote gambling addiction, and that the vast majority of those gambling on the internet are casual gamblers who effectively set limits for themselves.
Harvard researchers worked with online casino operator bwin.party to study gambling habits of millions of online players over a two-year period, and supplemented the research with a six-month study done by the University of Hamburg. The Hamburg research studied only internet poker; Harvard looked at all online casino games.
According to the Harvard report, 95 percent or more of gamblers studied played in moderation, with “Intense gambling behavior” exhibited by only 1 percent to 5 percent of the players. According to the report, bwin’s subscribers, on average, went online once every two weeks and lost around 5.5 percent of their bankroll each time. Sports bettors placed 2.5 bets every four days, with an average stake of $5.50.
The Hamburg study that the median online poker player only went online 4.88 hours per week and paid less than a dollar per hour per table in rake or tournament entry fees.
