We’ve been doing a lot of thinking here at OCNet. Not that the act of thinking is something we’re not accustomed to (you don’t get in-depth online casino reviews without any sense whatsoever!), it’s just that we’ve been doing a lot of thinking about a particular subject over the last few months. And yes, that subject is YOU. Well, maybe not all of you. Let’s just say that if you have ever made a wager at an online casino before, then consider yourself one of the anointed.

In lieu of a relatively recent article by Professor Mark Griffiths (iGB Affiliate Magazine; October/November, 2011), entitled “Who and What is an Online Casino Gambler”, as well as hundreds of studies trying to deduce the same, we decided it was nigh time to tell you a little something about yourself…err…yourselves. And don’t worry. You should be pleasantly surprised.

For instance, if you only gamble online (meaning you don’t wager at land-based gambling establishments), there’s a good probability that you are not classified as a problem gambler. To be more precise, according to the 2011 British Gambling Prevalence Survey, there’s a 0% chance you are a problem gambler.

But hold on a darn tootin’ second! Doesn’t online gambling breed underage and problem gambling?! Well, according to the results of the 2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey, that would appear to be the case. Of the 9,000 participants surveyed, 476 people had gambled online (having made any online wager excluding lottery tickets). Of this small minority, the problem gambling prevalence rate was 5%, compared to 0.5% for those who only gambled offline (never on the internet). Indeed, this would suggest that gambling on the internet is more conducive for addictions and problem gambling habits.

The only issue with these findings is that the survey did not take into account that 98% of the 476 online gamblers also gambled offline. In effect, the gambling prevalence rate was skewed, as it could not be traced to either offline or online betting activities.

What is known, however, is that problem gambling rates are highest amongst bettors who wager offline and online at different activities, i.e., playing blackjack at a land-based casino and also participating in online poker. According to the 2011 BGPS, this group made up 6.8% of the 7,756 adult gamblers surveyed, with 4.3% of the group classified as problem gamblers. Yes, that’s pretty high.

10.6% of those surveyed gambled both online and offline, but at the same betting activity, i.e. Slots at both the land-based and online casino. Of this group, 2.4% were classified as problem gamblers. The largest group – offline only gamblers – accounted for 80.5% of those surveyed and showed a problem gambling rate of 0.9%. Online-only gamblers accounted for 2.1% of those surveyed (a 2% increase since 2007) – and as mentioned earlier – showed a 0% problem gambling rate.

As you can see, just who and what an online casino gambler is can be difficult to answer. As pointed out by Professor Mark Griffiths of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, “the concept of online gambler – including the ‘online casino gambler’ – isn’t homogenous”.

So, what is to be taken from all this…particularly from the perspective of an online gambler?

First off, if you find yourself classified in the mixed-mode group that participates in offline and online gambling for different activities, you would be wise to check yourself more often than not. In other words, if you are frequently gambling online and offline, you should consider slowing down. Do you find that you are wagering more money as a whole? Well then, definitely slow it down! Perhaps choose just one activity or the other. Bottom line is this: If you’re accustomed to betting offline and are thinking about giving online gambling a try, be careful. What many folks don’t realize is that the rate of play is so much faster at online casinos, and thus the likely chance to spend more money in the same amount of time as you would in a land-based casino.

If you think you might have a gambling problem or addiction, please seek help with GamblersAnonymous.org and/or GameCare.org.uk.

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