Harvard Study shows that Online Gambling isn't Addictive

One perceived problem of online gambling is that its 24/7 availability leads to more addiction. However, recent Harvard research dispels this myth by showing that most internet gamblers are very responsible with their play.

Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addiction recently performed a huge online gaming study, with the cooperation of Bwin, PokerStars and the University of Hamburg. Bwin provided access to 4,000 online casino players and 40,000 sports bettors. Over the span of nine months, Harvard’s Division on Addiction found that casino players only gambled once every two weeks, losing about 5.5 percent of their bankroll each time. Sports bettors made 2.5 wagers by every fourth day, with each bet worth an average of $5.50.

A University of Hamburg study, which was done to supplement Harvard’s research, covered two million players at PokerStars over a six-month span. Hamburg found that the average player spent just 4.88 hours on the table (less than an hour each month), and paid less than a dollar in rake every hour.

Of course, there were still some people among the sports, casino and poker players who exhibited “intense gambling behavior.” But the number of those who were considered problem gamblers was quite low, with only 1 to 5 percent showing intense gambling habits.

This study backs up what former Harvard researchers Howard Shaffer and Ryan Martin wrote about in 2011. In their paper on internet gambling addiction, Shaffer and Martin wrote, “contrary to predictions derived from the exposure model, the prevalence of PG (pathological gambling) has remained stable or been influenced by adaptation during the past 35 years despite an unprecedented increase in opportunities and access to gambling.”

Shaffer explained that the reason why online gambling hasn’t increased addiction is because it follows a typical pattern for the gaming world. When a new gambling opportunity is introduced, new players will try it for a short time before getting bored and stopping. So contrary to what internet gaming naysayers preach today, most people are good at regulating their own habits and online gaming doesn’t change this.

The recent study by Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addiction will certainly be helpful in combating the vicious campaign that’s currently being run by Sheldon Adelson. The Las Vegas Sands Chairman is desperate to stop the spread of online gaming across the United States, and one of his biggest arguments is that 24/7 access will cause the decay of society. But so far, Adelson has yet to produce any legitimate studies to back up these claims.