Gambling Addiction on the Rise

In the United Kingdom there has been a lot of negative feelings towards regulation of online casinos. The UK's reason for not wanting to regulate is due to the protection of “vulnerable” persons such as minors. Word on the street is the real reason why regulation is looked down upon is because it would heavily effect land-based casinos. The UK passed a Gabmling Act in 2005 which made it legal to gamble on the internet or any online casino. The act also made it easier for more land based casinos to be built. This in turn has created a significant increase in people with gambling problems.
Guess who's players are the ones that need help? Not the online casinos, it is the land based casino players that are feeling the addiction. In a study conducted by MailOnline, a newspaper in the United Kingdom counseling is on the rise by 25% after the 2005 UK Gabling Act passed. If that does not make you realize how big of an issue it is here is some facts for you. In 2006, 30,000 people called Gamcare's helpline seeking aide for a gambling addiction to where as the following year 38,000 people called. Not everyone called was calling for land based casinos or an online casino, but we do know that 9,500 people did receive counseling by the Gamcare team of specialized counselors.
Not only did the amount of people seeking out help increase but so did the revenue. Gambling debts for players of online casinos and land based casinos alike rose from £13,800 to £17,500. One of the more interesting facts that we found is that only one in seven callers was calling about addiction to an online casino. One thing is for sure, there is a bit of a gambling