and the government sponsors in Canada, to enter a newly regulated market for online gambling. One potential solution for many of these problems, the study asserts, is to allow legitimate corporate sponsors of gambling, like the corporations who run major casinos in the U.S. In addition, online gambling lacks social interaction so participants are involved for the game, rather than other aspects, which may appeal to their competitive streak and increase the risk of addiction. In contrast, access to online gambling is as easy as the click of a computer mouse and is easily integrated into daily home routines, meaning more time can be spent on gambling. That's true, LaTour and Cotte explain, because casino gambling, which requires travel to an outside location, is more difficult to hide.

Results show online gamblers gamble more frequently and aggressively.

'When online gambling becomes a routine daily behavior, it is easier for consumers to engage in mindless consumption of that activity, ultimately resulting in addiction and resultant financial losses.'įor the study, LaTour and colleague June Cotte, marketing professor at University of Western Ontario, interviewed 20 regular casino gamblers and 10 regular online gamblers using pictures as stimuli to learn what gambling feels like and how it is perceived. 'The integration of online gambling in the home can more easily turn gambling behavior into a component of a consumer's everyday life, like watching television,' said Kathryn LaTour, associate professor at UNLV's William F. The study, 'Blackjack in the Kitchen: Understanding Online Versus Casino Gambling,' will be published in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

Legalizing and regulating online gambling in the United States and Canada could help reduce some of its most negative effects on consumers, says a new study by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Western Ontario.

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