The prevalence of Gambling Online varies widely. Some studies report a higher proportion of problem gamblers, while others report a smaller proportion. These results are not surprisingly influenced by the way studies recruit participants. A previous study that followed the same recruitment strategy also found that a high proportion of study participants gambled online. However, the proportion of problem gamblers varies widely, and these differences are most likely due to differences in the definitions of gambling and the prevalence of different types of gambling.
While some sites offer free games to ‘practise,’ these games will not be as fun as paid ones. The aim of these sites is to lure players back into spending money. Moreover, winning in practice games will not translate to winning in paid games. Furthermore, some sites send you offers and promotions to entice you to gamble with real money. This is a common pitfall, but it can be easily avoided.
One study looked at gambling levels after the COVID-19 casino lockdown. Results of the study suggest that gambling levels decreased in the two months following the lockdown, but increased in alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. A further study in Australia found that gambling rates had risen from the pre-lockdown levels in November. However, the same results were not seen for New Zealand. Age and ethnicity are significant risk factors in gambling. Furthermore, gambling online is a reliable predictor of problem gambling.
