More Treatment for Problem Online Gamblers in the UK

Considering how much here at Online Casino Suite we report on the positive aspects of online casino guide gambling regulation, it's only fair to let the other side have their say. In the case of regulation in Britain, the "other side" has recently come in the shape of "The Daily Mail" - a British newspaper that has long been associated with anti-online gambling measures.

The newspaper recently reported there are an alleged 284,000 problem gamblers in Britain currently, and that the whole of the lot has racked up an estimated £5 billion in debt. A comparison was also made to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's £2.7 billion fix, and that this money could be better spent dealing with problem gambling.

Not going so far to suggest that the British government should cease regulating online casino gambling, the report states that there is much more to be done in keeping problem gambling at bay. A specific citation alluded to the fact there are no National Health Service trust's dedicated to treating problem online gamblers.

The only problem with these figures, says those in opposition to the Tory Party - who conveniently analyzed the betting data and made it known to The Daily Mail - is that the 284,000 problem gamblers cited in the report are based on the government figure that 284,000 UK citizens have the potential of developing a problem gambling habit, but in fact, do not necessarily already have one.

What the party does have on their side are factual numbers that show 8,000 more people calling betting addiction hotlines in 2007 than in 2006, and that the government only spends an average of £10 per person for treating gambling addictions, which is a far cry from the £40 per person spent in Canada and £44 spent in New Zealand.

Considering that over £2 billion has been generated in taxes, one would certainly think the government could stand to spend more in problem gambling treatment. The counter, says The Culture Department, is that problem gamblers have not increased in the UK since 1999.

News Sources:-
by Mira Patel, News Staff Writer - December 28, 2008
http://onlinecasinosuite.com/casino-news/dec08/problemonlinegambling-3243.html