Gambling Facts and Statistics - Who Gambles (and How)?

In an effort to make distinctions between Web-based personal computer gambling and gambling by mobile phones and interactive television, the Gambling Commission in the U.K. put together a report that was the first in a series. One of the key goals, according to the commission, is to measure participation to get a more accurate view of gambling in Britain.

The commission lists these items among key findings of the January 2009 survey:

o 9.7 percent of 8,000 adults surveyed in the U.K. said they had participated in one of the forms of remote gambling in 2008. This compares to 7.2 percent in 2006 and 8.8 percent in 2007.

o The people most likely to take part in remote gambling: males between 18 and 44 years of age

o Most of the people who participated in remote gambling used a personal computer - nearly 3 times more than mobile phone or interactive TV

It's interesting to note that the consistent increase in participation in the U.K. is primarily due to remote access for Britain's National Lottery. When these lottery players are separated from the other survey respondents, the numbers indicate that 5.2 percent of the people surveyed took part in some form of remote gambling. The bottom line is that, in the U.K., more than 90 percent of the people don't gamble online or by some other remote means.

The report also separates respondents based on the type of gambling. For example, only 2.4 percent said they bet on horse racing of some type. Just 1.1 percent played bingo from a remote location. Roulette and blackjack were played by 1 percent of the people surveyed.

The commission has also released similar gambling statistics through June 2009. This report shows a few slight differences from the January data.

o 10.2 percent of 8,000 adults surveyed said they participated in some form of remote gambling in the previous month

o Remote gambling on a personal computer continued to be the most popular method (8.6 percent)

o Statistics for various types of games didn't show any significant changes, as 1.1 percent played blackjack or roulette from a remote location.

In contrast to the low number of people who engage in online, mobile or interactive TV gambling, reports on all gambling for 2007 and 2008 show that 68 percent of the population has tried some form of gambling. This translates to more than 30 million residents. It seems that the National Lottery, live casinos, betting parlors and other forms of in-person gambling are very popular with U.K. residents.

When the study took out the people who only purchased National Lottery tickets, results still show that nearly half of adults have tried gambling of some sort (48 percent). Among those millions of people, 17 percent bet on horse racing and 14 percent played the slots.

o £84.2 billion devoted to gambling annually

o Approximately 4,000 licensed operators in the gambling industry

Jim Hale is a veteran writer with more than 30 years experience in the newspaper and magazine industry. Now a regular columnist for blog.casino-affairs.com. Find out the top ten online casinos [http://www.casino-affairs.com/top-ten-online-casinos.html], no deposit online casino [http://www.casino-affairs.com/no-deposit-online-casino.html], sports betting and latest gambling news at Casino-Affairs.com.

Gambling Addiction Statistics, Symptoms, And Stories

Compulsive gambling addiction is a type of addiction that has become more and more common due to online gambling websites. People that suffer from a gambling addiction risk their whole lives and are even willing to cheat and steal to continue supporting their habit of gambling. It is a seemingly uncontrollable urge that a person gets to place a bet of some sort without weighing the consequences and negative effects that it may have on their lives or others.

Gambling Addiction Statistics

- According to gambling statistics, approximately 500 billion dollars are spent annually on wagers.

- In the United State, about 2.5 percent of adults are considered problem gamblers

- this type of addiction is most common among white Americans.

- it is commonly associated with alcoholism

- People with this addiction are more prone to diseases such as depression and mood swing disorder.

- The divorce rate of gambler addicts are more than double that of a non-gambler.

Gambling Addict Symptoms

One of the most prominent warning symptoms of this addiction is fixation. If you hear someone constantly bring up the casinos or ways to get money to go to the casino on a consistent basis then you are probably looking at someone that has or may develop a serious gambling problem. People with gambling problems are fixated and are always planning their next excursion.

Another indicator of someone having a gambling problem is if they seem to be increasing the wagers they place on a regular basis. Gambling is like a drug for a compulsive gambler. They start off with a small amount, then increase the dosage.

Lying and alienation from family and friends is another sign that someone may have a gambling issue. A lot of people with a gambling problems know that they have a problem and feel guilty about it. It is because of this that they feel the need to lie about their whereabouts to family and friends. They may also lie about the amount that they gamble.

Alienation from family and friends is a huge sign that their gambling problem has developed into a full-blown gambling addiction. Once someone starts doing this,you know that gambling is consuming their lives. If it gets to this point, they are in danger of destroying their lives and the lives of those around them. Someone at this level should definitely seek gambling addiction counseling.

Gambling Stories

Many people out there end up completely destroying their lives by falling victim to this addiction. A lot of times they find themselves in denial and when they don't have the funds and aren't able to get them, to support their habit, they turn to extreme measures, such as lying and thievery. If they aren't able to get the funds they need that way or if they aren't willing to take this route, they become irritable, angry, depressed, and sometimes suicidal.

There is a lot of addiction information on the internet. It is important to educate yourself on this addiction if you feel that you or someone you love may be gambling problems.

For help on gambling addiction recovery you may want to look up a gamblers anonymous group in your area.

For more information on gambling addiction and other types of addictions go to addictsapple.com

US Gambling Statistics Show Online Gambling Fun For Some, Dangerous For Others!

In the United States, gambling statistics show that live and online gambling has generated as much as $91 billion per year (as of 2006). The industry is responsible for billions more in related tourist income as well as the economic benefit of hundreds of thousands of jobs. In some states, gambling through lotteries is even used to raise money for college scholarships or much-needed infrastructure projects.

When it comes to the gambling statistics related to what kinds of games Americans are playing, there might be some surprises. While commercial casinos still take in the largest share of legal gambling revenue (43% in 2000), and lotteries take second place (28% in 2000), online gambling is estimated to bring in an amount that is roughly equal to what is spent in Indian casinos each year. As the internet reaches more homes, so does online gambling. And unfortunately, so do some of the possible negative side effects.

People who oppose gambling in general believe that it brings higher crime rates to an area. Of course, this isn't eligible for online gambling, unless you consider the possibility of your financial information being misused or hacked. But this risk isn't any greater with online gambling than with online shopping or bill paying.

What is a concern is compulsive gambling. Some statistics on online gambling have shown that about ½ of 1% of the population may have a problem with compulsive gambling. True compulsive gambling means that the person cannot control their impulse to make the next bet, even when they are risking their job, home, health, or relationships. And United States gambling statistics show that people are twice as likely to become addicted to gambling when a casino is located within 50 miles of their home. With the advent of online casinos, there is no longer any true distance at all between a gambler and a casino, meaning more people have the potential to become addicted to their favorite online gambling game at a higher rate than to live gambling or playing the lottery. This has lead opponents of online gaming to call it the 'crack cocaine' of the gambling world.

This problem has a serious impact for those who suffer from it, with compulsive gambling statistics showing that as much as 48% of the members of Gamblers Anonymous have considered suicide. And of those, more than 10% report having made a suicide attempt.

Plus, some opponents fear that there is a great deal of opportunity for money laundering and organized crime via online casinos. Since the US doesn't allow any of them to be located in the country, companies have set up shop in foreign countries with questionable, if any, regulations. Some fear that US online gamblers may be unknowingly contributing to criminal activity.

However, for the majority of us, compulsive gambling statistics don't apply. Online gambling is just another way to enjoy the internet, and perhaps to even earn some extra spending money! If you are able to set a limit on the amount you spend and stick to it, and if you don't endanger yours or your family's financial well being with the limit you set, then chances are you will not become one of the negative gambling statistics. But if you do ever find that your online gambling affects your work, your family, your health, your finances, or your social life, then you may need to seek some professional help.

Jean Asta is a full-time writer & management analyst for clients on several continents. She has produced thousands of articles, ebooks, and operational report. For the latest gambling updates, top 10 online casinos [http://www.casino-affairs.com/top-ten-online-casinos.html], casino odds & sports betting visit Casino-Affairs.com, an online casino guide [http://www.casino-affairs.com]