Internet gambling - worse than the traditional way?

Modern-day gambling is a very profitable business with many different and varied new ways to take part in gambling activities such as gambling via the Internet, mobile phone and interactive television. All over the world there has been a major shift by governments towards deregulation of the gambling industry which has taken gambling out of traditional gambling environments and has led to increases in access and opportunity to gamble remotely. A study of 473 students in the U.K. found that men were significantly more likely to be Internet gamblers than women, that Internet gamblers were significantly more likely to be problem gamblers than traditional gamblers and that men were more likely to be problem Internet gamblers. The researchers pointed out that Internet gambling was more likely to create problems because of its increased number of opportunities, its convenience, its 24-hour access and flexibility and the smaller intervals between gambles.

Griffiths, Mark and Barnes, Andrew - Internet gambling: an online empirical study among student gamblers International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction April 2008, 6(2), 194-204