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by Brian Cullingworth, Senior Partner, InfoPowa News
August 30, 2005
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</TD><TD vAlign=top width=468 colSpan=2></NOINDEX><!-- insert article after this tag--><!--/images6/brian-westbrook.jpg-->We all know that underage and problem gambling is a bad thing in both a moral and industry sense…something to be prevented, but at the same time perhaps a hassle that seems in some ways to sit outside the busy hurly-burly of online casino and poker room operational activity.
Under-funded and integrity challenged casinos usually ignore this critical issue; middle-ranking operations pay mere lip service to it by displaying a GA or similar logo. The top end of the market goes to more trouble and expense, training staff and creating an ongoing awareness that this is a serious illness that can cause acute human distress as well as damage to business and reputation.
Last month, a collection of 55 top online casinos took the subject up several levels by sending delegates from operations around the world to a two day training course arranged by self-regulatory body eCOGRA and conducted by the specialist Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4)
The management delegates who attended came away with information worth sharing about this psychological and physical disorder.
Delegates were told that a remarkable degree of similarity exists in the profiles of current addictive gamblers across international boundaries. Between 1.5 to 2 percent of active gamblers tend to be problem gamblers in Western societies, except in Australia where the numbers double. Of these, an average between 0.50 and 0.91 are in the critical, or "pathological" stage where giving up gambling altogether is the only solution.
And only 1 in every 5 problem gamblers (20 percent) is a woman.
More research needed
Although opponents of Internet gambling tend to apply these mainly land-based statistics to online gambling too, the extraordinary truth is that there have been no independent and scientifically conducted research projects focusing on Internet gambling addiction.
This leaves a gap that will hopefully be filled, perhaps by one or more of the many large companies now involved in this popular form of entertainment.
Such apparently low percentages can tempt one into a false complacency, but when viewed against the size of the market these bare statistics actually represent a worrying number of individual tragedies, and in addition there's the "collateral damage" effect of this disease to consider.
Uniquely to gambling addiction, an average 40 other persons are adversely impacted by the behaviour of a problem gambler - twice that of other addictions. And it can have serious health, stress and even suicidal consequences for the addict and his or her dependents. Problem gamblers are more likely to take their own lives than any other form of addiction.
Problem gamblers are not usually interested in games of skill; they like the buzz of chance and the next big win, but they also develop the illusion that they are in control of these random elements.
Speed is another factor, it seems. The shorter the interval between betting and result, the more addictive the game for those unfortunates with this affliction.
Age is a major element, too - people exposed to gambling for reward at an early age - usually lower than 18 years - are more vulnerable to developing an addiction, another reason why underage gambling must be prevented by all possible means.
Phases of addiction; there are no crack-gamblers
To give a perspective on age and gender, earlier this year Poker Room.com, a major online poker site studied the demographics of players who had voluntarily excluded themselves from gambling, using a facility for that purpose provided on the site.
85 percent of these were males, and they came from 25 countries. However, 82 percent of them came from the Unites States. The site, albeit from a massive gambler base numbering several millions, was recording an average of 12.6 voluntary exclusions each day.
When it came to age groups, the dominant category was players of 25 years or more (51.5 percent) Next came those in the 18 to 21 year age group (22 percent) Those aged 50 or more constituted a very low proportion of those studied.
Problem gamblers don't get "hooked" instantly - there are no crack-gamblers. The problem develops in largely predictable phases of winning, losing and desperation and a serious gambling habit can take as long as 4 years to develop.
The winning phase is characterised by pleasure, excitement, growing self-esteem and confidence and can lead to the gambler borrowing money to win more. Money is a means to an end - and that end is winning and the buzz that it brings.
When the situation inevitably turns, the gambler enters a losing phase but still hopes for the big win that will put him or her back on top - they chase losses; find outside activities and even work can be a distracting nuisance; lose financial common sense and value and experience declining self-worth and confidence.
The final stage truly is desperation. The gambler becomes preoccupied with gambling, which he believes will put him back in the pleasant "winning" phase he longs for with unrealistic optimism; social interaction and lifestyle declines and eating and/or sleeping disorders can occur. His confidence goes downhill, as does his optimism and ability to solve everyday problems as well as his addiction. Serious depression is on the doorstep.
These symptoms can be spread over 6 chronological categories in trying to save a problem gambler.
The first is no gambling at all, the second a novice or first timer gambling level (and age can be crucial) None of these are problematical.
In the third there are those who gamble regularly for social interaction and entertainment but have their entertainment and financial resources firmly under control.
It is in the fourth category that problems start to occur when excessive gambling is taking place. This and the fifth or "Critical" category are where the condition can still be reversed if identified and treated in time.
The success of any action to counter the problem depends largely on the gambler's behavioural state at this stage. Making unilateral judgements and forcing the issue can often be counter-productive and it is important that the victim recognises his condition and wants to change it, rather then being in a state of ambivalence or even denial and resistance.
The final and sixth category is "Addictive" where the only practical "cure" is a complete and permanent halt to all gambling.
End of Part I - the remainder of this article will cover identification of problem gamblers, and what to do about them
DOING THE RIGHT THING PART II
Part II of an article by Brian Cullingworth, InfoPowa News on the causes and identification of problem gamblers.
In the first part of this article we looked at how gambling problems develop, and which gamblers are most at risk.
How can casinos identify problem gamblers, and what should they do about it?
Signs to look for are:
1) Excessive time spent online gambling ie time per session.
2) Chasing losses - a compulsive need to recoup losses. This is a key indicator and often an early red flag.
3) Money is not necessarily an indicator, because the compulsive gambler generally sees it as a mere means to an end - to help him win again. He will therefore often attempt to obtain more bonuses and comps, or even credit, sometimes going to extreme lengths to do so.
Look for the following characteristics of a suspected problem gamblers play:
Ordinary, unaffected gamblers will usually enjoy their session. They do not come for the game alone but for entertainment and perhaps even the social community that multiplay or fora activity can give… and they show good self-control.
Gamblers who are in the "at risk" zone tend to be very game-focused, play above budget and become more excited when winning or over-react when losing.
Problem gamblers tend to lose the reality of a link between available money and play, and playing is the over-riding most important to them. They can cheat and lie to get what they want.
Pathological gamblers play for playing's sake and for long periods of time, as they lose track of conventional values in their obsession. They lack control and lose all sense of financial values. They simply cannot stop themselves in many cases, regardless of the consequences to themselves or others.
Little can be done outside of medical and psychological care for the Pathological category, whose only salvation is to completely eschew gambling in any form.
Where intervention can help
However, players in the "At Risk" or "Problem" categories mentioned above can be brought to their senses by timeous action before they cross over to the pathological. This is therefore a group where calling attention to the problem can often save the afflicted immeasurable ruin and suffering.
But experts warn that it is important psychologically that the decision to quit or go for help comes from the gambler, and is not one imposed against his will. Having drawn attention to the problem, and given the gambler sufficient information to assist him he is far more likely to heed a call to action if he decides for himself that counseling and self-exclusion is the best course.
That action might include self-exclusion from gambling, and it is important that the casino has such a facility available in its responsible gambling section.
Specialists in addictive gambling say that such an exclusion is unlikely to work unless it is for a minimum period of 6 months - anything shorter can lead dangerously to relapses. Once a casino has accepted a self exclusion it is obviously essential that no temptation in the way of promo communications or other marketing material be sent to the gambler. Some casinos have found that gamblers commit better if they are given a 7 day cool-off before signing a full exclusion.
Top end online casinos like the Trident Group have a responsible gambling counselor on retainer, and the group is widely recognised for going the extra mile in this important field. But currently this sort of commitment is the exception rather than the rule, and for this reason the eCOGRA initiative to encourage its Seal casinos to become more proactive and involved is to be applauded.
The commitment of Austrian gambling group Bet & Win is especially praiseworthy, too. This public company has budgeted US $ 1 million for a joint research project with Harvard Medical School on problem gambling.
Managers and awareness programs
Experts in the field advise that as in most business endeavours, it is important to have a manager who is given responsibility. Such an individual should be held accountable for measures to exclude underage or problem gamblers, and helping the latter to find treatment. This manager should be sent for more detailed training and given facilities to obtain advice and updates in this increasingly critical area of the business.
To ensure the success of a program, it is important that top management play an active role in supporting and encouraging the responsible manager. Their experience is essential in the drafting, budgetting and implementation of a documented company policy, and in underlining their real commitment to it as an example to their employees.
Ensuring that at the very least Support supervisors undergo training in identification and basic handling will be an important part of the responsible manager's duties, together with staff refresher courses at regular intervals and monitoring on a daily basis.
Awareness programs, perhaps through a dedicated section on the casino website allied to a self exclusion process is a good start. There are concise self-questionnaires developed by experts which can be a helpful guide to gamblers wanting to privately check their vulnerability, and one of these could be useful content for the exclusion page or even newsletters.
It is important that links to the responsible gambling section be easily found by troubled gamblers, probably on the home page of the site.
The following is a list of reputable international sites where problem gamblers can receive assistance:
* The Global Gambling Guidance Group www.gx4.com
* GamCare UK www.gamcare.org.uk
* Gamblers Anonymous International: An international fellowship to help compulsive gamblers worldwide www.gamblersanonymous.org.
* Gamblers Anonymous UK www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk.
* National Council on Problem Gambling (includes a 24/7 confidential help-line for US nationals) www.ncpgambling.org.
The features that make online gambling such an appealing entertainment for the vast majority of players are the very ones that attract the problem gambler: accessibility, speed, autoplay, progressives, easy financial transactions, bonuses, loyalty programs and ease of use all constitute risk factors for the small percentage of users who are problem gamblers.
On the positive side, however online gambling is better able to identify, track, research and communicate with problem gamblers, using effective self-exclusion, assistance and awareness programs. The medium therefore has considerable potential for the proactive and responsible management of underage or problem gambling.
It is surely time for truly responsible online casino operators to genuinely commit both will and resources to using these positive elements. By confining underage and problem gambling to an absolute minimum, operators can help reduce human suffering, protect their own interests and make an important contribution to the reputation and standing of the industry in the process.
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by Brian Cullingworth, Senior Partner, InfoPowa News
August 30, 2005
<TD vAlign=top width=11>
Under-funded and integrity challenged casinos usually ignore this critical issue; middle-ranking operations pay mere lip service to it by displaying a GA or similar logo. The top end of the market goes to more trouble and expense, training staff and creating an ongoing awareness that this is a serious illness that can cause acute human distress as well as damage to business and reputation.
Last month, a collection of 55 top online casinos took the subject up several levels by sending delegates from operations around the world to a two day training course arranged by self-regulatory body eCOGRA and conducted by the specialist Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4)
The management delegates who attended came away with information worth sharing about this psychological and physical disorder.
Delegates were told that a remarkable degree of similarity exists in the profiles of current addictive gamblers across international boundaries. Between 1.5 to 2 percent of active gamblers tend to be problem gamblers in Western societies, except in Australia where the numbers double. Of these, an average between 0.50 and 0.91 are in the critical, or "pathological" stage where giving up gambling altogether is the only solution.
And only 1 in every 5 problem gamblers (20 percent) is a woman.
More research needed
Although opponents of Internet gambling tend to apply these mainly land-based statistics to online gambling too, the extraordinary truth is that there have been no independent and scientifically conducted research projects focusing on Internet gambling addiction.
This leaves a gap that will hopefully be filled, perhaps by one or more of the many large companies now involved in this popular form of entertainment.
Such apparently low percentages can tempt one into a false complacency, but when viewed against the size of the market these bare statistics actually represent a worrying number of individual tragedies, and in addition there's the "collateral damage" effect of this disease to consider.
Uniquely to gambling addiction, an average 40 other persons are adversely impacted by the behaviour of a problem gambler - twice that of other addictions. And it can have serious health, stress and even suicidal consequences for the addict and his or her dependents. Problem gamblers are more likely to take their own lives than any other form of addiction.
Problem gamblers are not usually interested in games of skill; they like the buzz of chance and the next big win, but they also develop the illusion that they are in control of these random elements.
Speed is another factor, it seems. The shorter the interval between betting and result, the more addictive the game for those unfortunates with this affliction.
Age is a major element, too - people exposed to gambling for reward at an early age - usually lower than 18 years - are more vulnerable to developing an addiction, another reason why underage gambling must be prevented by all possible means.
Phases of addiction; there are no crack-gamblers
To give a perspective on age and gender, earlier this year Poker Room.com, a major online poker site studied the demographics of players who had voluntarily excluded themselves from gambling, using a facility for that purpose provided on the site.
85 percent of these were males, and they came from 25 countries. However, 82 percent of them came from the Unites States. The site, albeit from a massive gambler base numbering several millions, was recording an average of 12.6 voluntary exclusions each day.
When it came to age groups, the dominant category was players of 25 years or more (51.5 percent) Next came those in the 18 to 21 year age group (22 percent) Those aged 50 or more constituted a very low proportion of those studied.
Problem gamblers don't get "hooked" instantly - there are no crack-gamblers. The problem develops in largely predictable phases of winning, losing and desperation and a serious gambling habit can take as long as 4 years to develop.
The winning phase is characterised by pleasure, excitement, growing self-esteem and confidence and can lead to the gambler borrowing money to win more. Money is a means to an end - and that end is winning and the buzz that it brings.
When the situation inevitably turns, the gambler enters a losing phase but still hopes for the big win that will put him or her back on top - they chase losses; find outside activities and even work can be a distracting nuisance; lose financial common sense and value and experience declining self-worth and confidence.
The final stage truly is desperation. The gambler becomes preoccupied with gambling, which he believes will put him back in the pleasant "winning" phase he longs for with unrealistic optimism; social interaction and lifestyle declines and eating and/or sleeping disorders can occur. His confidence goes downhill, as does his optimism and ability to solve everyday problems as well as his addiction. Serious depression is on the doorstep.
These symptoms can be spread over 6 chronological categories in trying to save a problem gambler.
The first is no gambling at all, the second a novice or first timer gambling level (and age can be crucial) None of these are problematical.
In the third there are those who gamble regularly for social interaction and entertainment but have their entertainment and financial resources firmly under control.
It is in the fourth category that problems start to occur when excessive gambling is taking place. This and the fifth or "Critical" category are where the condition can still be reversed if identified and treated in time.
The success of any action to counter the problem depends largely on the gambler's behavioural state at this stage. Making unilateral judgements and forcing the issue can often be counter-productive and it is important that the victim recognises his condition and wants to change it, rather then being in a state of ambivalence or even denial and resistance.
The final and sixth category is "Addictive" where the only practical "cure" is a complete and permanent halt to all gambling.
End of Part I - the remainder of this article will cover identification of problem gamblers, and what to do about them
DOING THE RIGHT THING PART II
Part II of an article by Brian Cullingworth, InfoPowa News on the causes and identification of problem gamblers.
In the first part of this article we looked at how gambling problems develop, and which gamblers are most at risk.
How can casinos identify problem gamblers, and what should they do about it?
Signs to look for are:
1) Excessive time spent online gambling ie time per session.
2) Chasing losses - a compulsive need to recoup losses. This is a key indicator and often an early red flag.
3) Money is not necessarily an indicator, because the compulsive gambler generally sees it as a mere means to an end - to help him win again. He will therefore often attempt to obtain more bonuses and comps, or even credit, sometimes going to extreme lengths to do so.
Look for the following characteristics of a suspected problem gamblers play:
Ordinary, unaffected gamblers will usually enjoy their session. They do not come for the game alone but for entertainment and perhaps even the social community that multiplay or fora activity can give… and they show good self-control.
Gamblers who are in the "at risk" zone tend to be very game-focused, play above budget and become more excited when winning or over-react when losing.
Problem gamblers tend to lose the reality of a link between available money and play, and playing is the over-riding most important to them. They can cheat and lie to get what they want.
Pathological gamblers play for playing's sake and for long periods of time, as they lose track of conventional values in their obsession. They lack control and lose all sense of financial values. They simply cannot stop themselves in many cases, regardless of the consequences to themselves or others.
Little can be done outside of medical and psychological care for the Pathological category, whose only salvation is to completely eschew gambling in any form.
Where intervention can help
However, players in the "At Risk" or "Problem" categories mentioned above can be brought to their senses by timeous action before they cross over to the pathological. This is therefore a group where calling attention to the problem can often save the afflicted immeasurable ruin and suffering.
But experts warn that it is important psychologically that the decision to quit or go for help comes from the gambler, and is not one imposed against his will. Having drawn attention to the problem, and given the gambler sufficient information to assist him he is far more likely to heed a call to action if he decides for himself that counseling and self-exclusion is the best course.
That action might include self-exclusion from gambling, and it is important that the casino has such a facility available in its responsible gambling section.
Specialists in addictive gambling say that such an exclusion is unlikely to work unless it is for a minimum period of 6 months - anything shorter can lead dangerously to relapses. Once a casino has accepted a self exclusion it is obviously essential that no temptation in the way of promo communications or other marketing material be sent to the gambler. Some casinos have found that gamblers commit better if they are given a 7 day cool-off before signing a full exclusion.
Top end online casinos like the Trident Group have a responsible gambling counselor on retainer, and the group is widely recognised for going the extra mile in this important field. But currently this sort of commitment is the exception rather than the rule, and for this reason the eCOGRA initiative to encourage its Seal casinos to become more proactive and involved is to be applauded.
The commitment of Austrian gambling group Bet & Win is especially praiseworthy, too. This public company has budgeted US $ 1 million for a joint research project with Harvard Medical School on problem gambling.
Managers and awareness programs
Experts in the field advise that as in most business endeavours, it is important to have a manager who is given responsibility. Such an individual should be held accountable for measures to exclude underage or problem gamblers, and helping the latter to find treatment. This manager should be sent for more detailed training and given facilities to obtain advice and updates in this increasingly critical area of the business.
To ensure the success of a program, it is important that top management play an active role in supporting and encouraging the responsible manager. Their experience is essential in the drafting, budgetting and implementation of a documented company policy, and in underlining their real commitment to it as an example to their employees.
Ensuring that at the very least Support supervisors undergo training in identification and basic handling will be an important part of the responsible manager's duties, together with staff refresher courses at regular intervals and monitoring on a daily basis.
Awareness programs, perhaps through a dedicated section on the casino website allied to a self exclusion process is a good start. There are concise self-questionnaires developed by experts which can be a helpful guide to gamblers wanting to privately check their vulnerability, and one of these could be useful content for the exclusion page or even newsletters.
It is important that links to the responsible gambling section be easily found by troubled gamblers, probably on the home page of the site.
The following is a list of reputable international sites where problem gamblers can receive assistance:
* The Global Gambling Guidance Group www.gx4.com
* GamCare UK www.gamcare.org.uk
* Gamblers Anonymous International: An international fellowship to help compulsive gamblers worldwide www.gamblersanonymous.org.
* Gamblers Anonymous UK www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk.
* National Council on Problem Gambling (includes a 24/7 confidential help-line for US nationals) www.ncpgambling.org.
The features that make online gambling such an appealing entertainment for the vast majority of players are the very ones that attract the problem gambler: accessibility, speed, autoplay, progressives, easy financial transactions, bonuses, loyalty programs and ease of use all constitute risk factors for the small percentage of users who are problem gamblers.
On the positive side, however online gambling is better able to identify, track, research and communicate with problem gamblers, using effective self-exclusion, assistance and awareness programs. The medium therefore has considerable potential for the proactive and responsible management of underage or problem gambling.
It is surely time for truly responsible online casino operators to genuinely commit both will and resources to using these positive elements. By confining underage and problem gambling to an absolute minimum, operators can help reduce human suffering, protect their own interests and make an important contribution to the reputation and standing of the industry in the process.
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