As the UK prepares to reduce the maximum bet allowed on fixed odds betting terminals, a new study finds that betting on mobile phones is a greater risk for problem gamblers.
The study published in the academic journal European Addiction Research found that gamblers who check their phones frequently during the day tend to bet more often, even after suffering repeated losses.
The UK is cutting the maximum stake allowed to be bet on FOBTs from £100 to £2, but the study warns that gambling apps are actually more harmful because they are “so ubiquitous.” There are also no legal restrictions on smartphone gambling because the companies themselves are often based in other jurisdictions.
“The job of regulating them is extremely challenging,” the report said.
“Policymakers have clamped down hard on fixed-odds terminals because they’ve become associated in the public imagination with problem gamblers,” said Prof Richard Tunney, head of psychology at Aston University and lead author of the paper. “But actually, we’ve been overtaken by technology, because it’s now possible for people to gamble pretty much anywhere, any time on their smartphone. For people psychologically disposed to addictive behaviors, this means an outlet for that addiction is now just a tap away.”
