Too accessible of online casino grows addiction faster?

[mindrust]

I have a discussion with a close relative about online gambling and he said something that about how he hate gambling online because it's too addictive, he claimed real life casinos are better and less addictive because he will have to drive down to Las Vegas to gamble or drive down to a local casino and this still takes some physical effort and it discourages many people from frequenting gambling.

He said with online gambling it's available on through mobile phones and you can play at any time, this means no shortage of gambling around the clock and no shortage of losing money as well, you can easily pull out your phone and gamble with any free time, a bit compulsive and too accessible.

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong? 

I think both of them can become addicting. Tbh with you, I like real life casinos better than online casinos sometimes it is because humans are social creatures. Sometimes you just want to see some smiling faces around you. That alone can create an addiction. If visiting real life casinos make you happy, then you will always want to be happy. To be happy, you visit casinos. In the end you will always be going to casinos and make an addiction out of it. Drugs do this to people too. Same logic applies. You do drugs, you feel happy. To feel happy you always do drugs and then boom, you end up dead.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong? 

I think he is somewhat right in that claim, the emergence of smart phones and fast internet connections has drove many, including youths and elders into becoming addicted to alot of things, social media, games, movie etc, this is not limited to online gambling, those who gamble online without self control can easily get addicted too, so indeed, he is right in his claim, but then also, I still think that any gambler who does not want to get addicted to online gambling still won't get addicted, sometimes, things like this has much to do with what we decide and how determined we are to stick by it.

[acroman08]

he claimed real life casinos are better and less addictive because he will have to drive down to Las Vegas to gamble or drive down to a local casino and this still takes some physical effort and it discourages many people from frequenting gambling.

nope, physical casino is not "less addictive" than an online casino, both are addictive, the only difference between the two is that an online casino is far more accessible than physical casino. just because you have to make an effort to go to a physical casino does not mean it is less addictive than online gambling.

[Wiwo]

This is not wrong, because access availability of anything can easily corrupt the mind of its user since there will be the high consumption of such things at an excessive rate, but then if we blame everything on its availability without taking personal responsibility for our actions it may lead to confusion addiction of a mindset and if you say online casinos aid addictions due to availability due to online access that way you can also blame the internet for everything.. The bottom line is, every of individual action should be carried out with personal responsibility that way we can take action personally without extending the blame to others' things.

[coolcoinz]

It's true, there's direct correlation with access and addiction, provided that something is addictive. I'm sure that if we allowed for free use of drugs, we'd have more addicts to treat, but that said it might not be such a bad idea since the society regulates itself. If people saw a lot of addicts around them and saw how bad withdrawal symptoms are, they wouldn't ant to try drugs again.
It can also be said about gambling addicts. There's going to be an increase in the number of gamblers if we don't restrict them and allow them to play on their phones, but once the first wave of curious minds goes through, we will reach the point of plateau.

[Erumo]

Weird logic. Porno is also too accessible online - does it also cause addiction to grow? Alcohol and cigarettes arent hard to get either. Do we have an addiction increase? Omg, we have coffee shops on every corner. That makes us all coffeeholics. We are going to die younger, as we drink more coffee, our heart work with higher load. Is that what you mean? Any product or service is more accessible than it was 15-20 years ago. We probably have increased addiction on everything. Weak person finds excuse in everything. Cant resist gambling - go to rehab. Dont have to blame casinos for that.

[Fortify]

I have a discussion with a close relative about online gambling and he said something that about how he hate gambling online because it's too addictive, he claimed real life casinos are better and less addictive because he will have to drive down to Las Vegas to gamble or drive down to a local casino and this still takes some physical effort and it discourages many people from frequenting gambling.

He said with online gambling it's available on through mobile phones and you can play at any time, this means no shortage of gambling around the clock and no shortage of losing money as well, you can easily pull out your phone and gamble with any free time, a bit compulsive and too accessible.

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong? 

It's definitely a good point to be made, even more so in relation to crypto casinos that can be funded without having direct access to something like a debit card which often are only given to people who at the very least are over 16 - potentially allowing minors to engage in gambling if no other KYC checks are performed. It is also a lot like a wild west where there is no unified self exclusion program that is joined across all online casinos and would allow someone to really get a grip on their spending if their self control was limited. Such a self exclusion program is also unlikely to ever materialize because firstly, there are too many countries in the world to enforce such a law and secondly, any casino in a jurisdiction that did not enforce it would instantly get an advantage of drawing in all players who have self excluded but lost control.

[South Park]

I have a discussion with a close relative about online gambling and he said something that about how he hate gambling online because it's too addictive, he claimed real life casinos are better and less addictive because he will have to drive down to Las Vegas to gamble or drive down to a local casino and this still takes some physical effort and it discourages many people from frequenting gambling.

He said with online gambling it's available on through mobile phones and you can play at any time, this means no shortage of gambling around the clock and no shortage of losing money as well, you can easily pull out your phone and gamble with any free time, a bit compulsive and too accessible.

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong? 

The same could be said about anything which has been made more accessible through your phone, which is basically everything at this point, lets look at online shopping, there were people which were already addicted to shopping when malls full of retail stores were first introduced, now online shopping is slowly replacing them and they are way more convenient as you can get exactly what you want when you want, have phones made shopping addiction even worse for those suffering this condition? There is little doubt in my mind this is the case but not much can be done about it and the same holds true for gambling addiction.

[blockman]

He's right but it's debatable, he could have just his bias toward the feedback that he's given.
Going with the outcome of being an addiction, both choices to me are just equal. You can be a responsible physical gambler or an online gambler and vice versa.
You can also be addicted to online gambling or physical gambling and that's why it's equal to me, there's no exception.

[Dunamisx]

Since we are not children anymore in gambling then we should also know that too much of everything is bad, if you like gambling it's fine but you must prioritize yourself and get to order by not allowing the whole gambling of a thing get over you the negative ways, if we like gambling to that extent then we should plan ourselves to channel the whole advantage towards out end and not to experience the other side of it all whereby gambling becomes a catastrophe to the gambler involved.

[dezoel]

Doesn't make any difference anymore when one is already addicted whether it's a physical casino or online casino, he will find a way to gamble. He may just ask friends to come over and play cards with him.

It is just the craving that urges the addict to do it. If I wanted to I can actually go to a nearby gambling community right behind the house of billard in the corner. I once saw 4 men playing cards in the corner, I'm pretty sure there are more of them.

I think it depends on the gambler. If he is fortunate enough and then has a service (car) and he has the money to gas it up then he can always travel no matter how far that gambling place was. For those are less fortunate, the rise of the online casino is a big help for them to feed their desires/addiction.

An addicted gambler do also have a favourite game so I don't think they can just look for an alternative or substitute once their games aren't available or there are hindrances from going into a casino. Those who only got addicted on card games are lucky because they can just buy a card and gather their friends on their homes. No need to travel or play online.

[bitbollo]

I think that some players could fall into addiction for this reason but this not the only problem.

If you think about it ... just analyze some facts... a lot of people have the same access to online casino but this is not the reason "everyone" is falling addict... so this why I think this is not the main reason if someone develop such addiction.

[Oilacris]

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong?  

There's a point but it would all boils down into someones self control because whether you do deal up with online or offline gambling if the urge inside for you to play gambling is there or the same then you would be still ending up on the same situation or scenario which is to lose up money in gambling in the end of the line.

Here are the main differences though;

1. Accessibility
2. Ambiance
3. Games technicality in terms of outcome or results
which online games gives instant and some on offline too like slot machines
but most of the time you would be waiting up.


But they do share up on the same possible outcome.
-Winning or losing in the end of the day.

[Bitinity]

If your friend have a gambling addiction online casino, he can just use self exclusion feature because all of reputable and trusted online casino always have this feature to make sure their gamblers doesn't have addiction problem. The fault is on your friend, actually he need to learn about self control and time management, he shouldn't gamble at anytime or in whole day, maybe your friend is a jobless.

Even self exclusion will not work effectively since addiction is a mindset issue. We have seen some people here in this forum use self exclusion but they still able to create new account or simply move to other casinos. Here is clear that the problem is on themselves. The same applies for this topic, the fast growth of online gambling and the fact that it can be accessed easily anytime anywhere, this situation may increase addiction but still people are responsible for themselves. Means that even if online casinos are not too accessible, addiction may still grow fast if people unable to control themselves.

[robelneo]

I have a discussion with a close relative about online gambling and he said something that about how he hate gambling online because it's too addictive, he claimed real life casinos are better and less addictive because he will have to drive down to Las Vegas to gamble or drive down to a local casino and this still takes some physical effort and it discourages many people from frequenting gambling.

He said with online gambling it's available on through mobile phones and you can play at any time, this means no shortage of gambling around the clock and no shortage of losing money as well, you can easily pull out your phone and gamble with any free time, a bit compulsive and too accessible.

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong? 

He is both right and wrong, he is right that you are likely to become addicted if you have easy access and physical casinos cannot provide easy access you have to spend money to travel and give time and effort to be there at the physical casinos, that is why it's perceived that if you can go to physical casinos you have the means and can afford to that, but he is wrong in pointing to physical casinos as the only means to gamble and become addictive, you can become addictive to other forms of gambling where it is available to you like a card game that you can play with your friends or in a lottery station that's just hereby.
We have no available data on this all I know is there are gamblers who play in physical casinos that lose millions and will find ways to gamble even to the point of staying in a hotel.
The point is you are not safe playing in physical casinos than in online casinos, it's in your character and your weak mindset.

[khaled0111]

Your friend has a point but he needs to realize that online casinos have been around for a long time (more than a decade), so this not really something new. Besides, providing faster services by having online versions is supposed to be an advantage as it will save you a lot of time and effort.
If someone has a vulnerable personality then it doesn't matter where he plays. He can easily become an addict and not distance or anything else would stop him from playing excessively.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

I think that some players could fall into addiction for this reason but this not the only problem.

If you think about it ... just analyze some facts... a lot of people have the same access to online casino but this is not the reason "everyone" is falling addict... so this why I think this is not the main reason if someone develop such addiction.

You are sure right, like i said in my previous comment, it all boils down to our decision and determination to keep to what we have decided, if for example, I gamble through online casinos and I make a decision that never will fall into gambling addiction, and i take all necessary steps to make sure i never fall into addiction for real, what then will make me want to become addicted?

I have seen gamblers that don't even own a smart phone let alone have access to online gambling, and yet, they are core addicts to gambling, so I don't think the kind of access people have to gambling have any significant role to play in them becoming addicted or not.

[decodx]

That's an interesting point of view, but I think they're wrong. Yes, online gambling is more accessible and potentially more addictive now, but the same can be said for any activity that can be done online and from the comfort of your home. If you have an addictive personality and a tendency toward compulsive behavior, then yes, gambling online can be dangerous. But if you're aware of your tendencies and take steps to protect yourself (perhaps by setting limits on how much money you spend or by only gambling with money that's disposable), then there's no reason why it can't be as safe and enjoyable as playing at a land-based casino. Plus, with the advancement of technology, there are now tools and resources available to help prevent compulsive gambling. It's all about finding that balance and being responsible with your choices. In my opinion, it's not the medium that's the problem; it's the individual's inability to practice self-control. And, when you play at a land-based casino, it's much harder to say no when you see an opportunity for instant gratification, imho.

[lienfaye]

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong?  

He has a point because online casinos are more convenient for gamblers. If you have a money to spend, a gadget to use and an internet connection, you can play at any time and anywhere you want. However it doesn't necessarily mean an accessible way to gamble can lead you to become a compulsive one because it depends on your behavior. For example, you're an owner of a liquor store, does it mean you are already an alcoholic since you have that business and can drink all you want? No right? Because that's your business and your mindset is to earn money.

Thus if you're a type of gambler who can't refrain yourself from playing then you will likely become a compulsive gambler for not being able to control yourself regardless of where you're playing.

[Strongkored]

What do you think about this claim? Is he right or wrong? 

I am not a player in land based casinos, but what your friend said is quite true because in online casinos as long as you have an internet connection and the device is in your hand then whenever you can start playing you just need to deposit money and can immediately play and not being able to control yourself will lead us to addiction because of this convenience. So far I'm still in good control despite playing at online casinos.