Online casinos are huge business, and many people are drawn to them for a variety of reasons. Online casinos are anonymous, which can lead to people falling victim to their shills. Here are a few reasons why you should avoid them. First, they are highly profitable and may be operated by shady characters. Second, online casinos are not regulated by the U.S. government. So how do you avoid falling victim to these criminals?
Problem gamblers are younger
The increase in the number of problem gamblers is being attributed in part to sports betting, which has become a popular hobby. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NPGC) recently studied the demographic of sports betters in 2021. It found that college-age males were the most likely to develop a gambling addiction, as compared to non-college-aged white men. Online betting companies are targeting this demographic with great success, as college students are attracted to anything available at the touch of a finger. Sports games are played year-round in college bars, which means that problem gamblers are bound to be among them.
They gamble more often
A recent survey found that 25.7% of UK adults had gambled online in the last four weeks. The increase was most prominent among the age group of 16 to 24. In fact, by March 2022, 34.7% of 16 to 24 year olds will have gambled online in the last four weeks, up from 28.7% in 2016. By contrast, the 55 to 64 age group will gamble more often than before the gambling pandemic.
They have higher levels of impulsivity
In the current study, we examined the relationship between impulsivity and problem gaming among students from Guangzhou and Chengdu, China. The participants were grade seven to nine students with formal education. Twenty-seven percent of the participants were female. The participants’ impulsivity levels were measured using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) checklist. Moreover, they were measured on the Chinese version of the Revised Internet Gaming Cognition Scale (RICS), and their parents’ or peers’ influence on their gambling behaviors.