Wagering gives some "a better high than Cocaine"
Gambling is as old as mankind itself. Who can say what the first wager was? Perhaps it was between two of our ancestors on whether a third would escape the jaws of a hungry predator. It may have been as sedate as how many fish were caught that day by the tribe. One thing is generally agreed upon however, and that is that gambling gives most people some feeling of high.
Online Gambling has grown exponentially over the last 8-10 years. This is due in part to operational scalability by operators but mainly by the sheer accessibility of online gambling sites by the gamblers themselves. But has the increased availability of gambling via the internet spelt a rise in compulsive gambling?
It is generally believed by experts that around 2 percent to 3 percent of the population suffers from some form of problem gambling. Many strongly believe that easy access to online gambling sites is making that number rise.
Research points to a clear and distinct relationship between gambling and brain chemistry. A relationship very similar to one found in instances of substance abuse. Imbalances in serotonin, the chemical that controls moods, and norepinephrine, a hormone released in response to stress figure in theories on compulsive behavior held in the medical world.
Pat Fowler, head of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling in Altamonte Springs, said that "For some pathological gamblers, it is a chemical addiction. They don't need to ingest anything." Studies have reported that for some that placing a bet, whether on a Government sanctioned wager or not, leads to "a better, purer high" than cocaine.
The US government recently introduced a law that does not allow banks to process payments to and from online gambling sites. A lot of the sentiment by those who supported this bill through congress was that this would help to keep "the evils of addictive online gambling from Americans". I am sure that many experts in the fields of substance addiction would agree that the war on online gambling should not be mismanaged in the way that the war on drugs has. It is now obvious to many that for the later, helping the addicted to change their habits instead of trying to stop the supply is the safer bet.
posted by Ian from egaming pulse
