Real Limits in the Virtual World: Self-Limiting Behavior of Internet Gamblers |
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| Authors: | Sarah E Nelson Debi A LaPlante Allyson J Peller Anja Schumann Richard A LaBrie Howard J Shaffer |
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| Institution: | (1) Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA;(2) Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance, 101 Station Landing, 2nd Floor, Medford, MA 02155, USA;(3) Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Bremen, Germany |
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| Abstract: | The recent expansion of Internet gambling has stimulated debate, policy, and research on this relatively new phenomenon and
its potential consequences. The current study focuses on bettors experiencing problems by sampling Internet gamblers who imposed
limits on the amount they were allowed to deposit to a betting site. We analyzed the betting transactions over 18 months of
all gamblers who subscribed to an online betting site in February, 2005 (N = 47,134), 567 of whom utilized the site’s self-limit feature. Self-limiting gamblers played a wider variety of games and
placed more bets than others prior to imposing limits. After imposing limits, self-limiters reduced their activity, but did
not reduce the amount they wagered per bet. Time spent gambling, not just money spent, appears to be an important indicator
of gambling problems. Self-limit programs appear to be promising options for Internet gamblers at-risk for gambling problems.
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| Keywords: | Gambling Internet gambling Gambling problems Self limits Harm reduction |
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