With the proliferation of online casinos and gaming sites, the question on the negative effects of such widespread availability inevitably arise: Is Internet casino gambling harmful? Let’s examine first the benefits derived from online casinos.
Easy and convenient availability is perhaps the most obvious, as people no longer need to spend money to go to the brick-and-mortar casinos but instead, they can now play even while relaxing at home. However, this is also considered detrimental, as easy access means more people being hooked to gambling, which in the long run may reduce productivity. It had been shown that proximity (which translates to availability) is a significant contributor to gambling addiction (Source:www.playsportal.net).
Affordability is also a plus for online gaming. Players need not have loads of money to play in the online sites unlike before when casinos require patrons to show their money before admittance to their facilities. Thus, people on welfare and even minors could sneak in and play their favorite game of chance with just a little capital.
Another benefit is increased taxes derived from online gaming. More taxes result in more infrastructure and development projects, which ultimately is good for the people. Ideally that is a good effect, right? However, due to the relative anonymity of online gaming and lack of control mechanisms, operators could easily dupe the government of millions in taxes.
On top of these ‘benefits’, online gaming is a rich breeding ground for corruption. Events that unraveled in connection with proposed bills in the
