UK gambling commission finds remote gambling on the rise

[The Buzz]

The UK gambling commission just released a report yesterday and it has found that remote gambling is on the rise in the UK.

Here's a link to the full report ...

http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk...20Jun%2007.pdf

And here are the items they singled out as "key findings"

• Over the four quarters to June 2007 (i.e. an average of figures for September 2006, December 2006, March 2007 and June 2007), 8.6% per cent of the 8,000 adults surveyed said they had participated in at least one form of remote gambling (through a computer, mobile phone or interactive/digital TV) in the previous month. This compares with the revised 2006 calendar year figure of 7.4%. The remaining 91.4% of respondents said they had not participated in any form of remote gambling.
• Those participating in remote gambling remain more likely to be male than female, and are more likely to be aged 18 - 34.
• If those only playing the National Lottery remotely are excluded, 5.9% of respondents had participated in remote gambling. Overall, 6.3% of respondents said they had gambled remotely on the National Lottery in the previous month (either only or in addition to other types of gambling activity).
• Remote gambling via a computer, laptop or handheld device was most popular (6.7% of all adult respondents), followed by gambling via mobile phone (2.9%) and interactive/digital TV (under 2%).

[Doolally]

Startling isn't it. I wonder how much they paid to find out that remote gambling is on the rise?

You'll probably find that everything remote is on the rise. I'd bet next months commissions that shopping, meeting friends, checking the share prices and reading the news all have similar growth figures.

Quite simply, it's a progressive World we live in.

[GPWA Ryan]

Lol Doolally. I hate studies that spend precious tax dollars...

However, looking at it with an online gambling slant...

We need studies like this. More and more American Congressman are learning about the UIGEA and its prohibition effects... and some of their conclusions are that they need more information (or worse, should have had more information before passing the UIGEA). Simply put, the U.S. average U.S. congressman knows very little about online gambling, thus, are more susceptible to scare arguments based around morality.

Studies like this may prove that...

A.) online gambling is popular among the common folk

B.) It's a legitimate, solid, taxable industry

C.) That it continues to grow and will inevitably exist

There is a call for a more substantial study in the U.S. House right now, Rep. Shelley Berkley's (D-Nev.) bill, which is calling for a study of online gaming in the U.S. to see the merits of the pro and con sides of the argument. While many of our congressman are unwilling to simply repeal the UIGEA, many more want more information, especially the tax and growth numbers.

I say bring more of these studies on, no matter where they occur or how small they seem. The more information we can get to the U.S. lawmakers, the more likely it will be that they realize how silly prohibition 2.0 is and how much the U.S. is losing by not regulating.