Is the So-Called ‘Crack Cocaine’ of Gambling Really More Addictive
We have heard the terminology used quite a bit in recent years, particularly in the UK. It’s the “crack cocaine of gambling” or fixed odds betting terminals that make people bet more and more and more.
But some of us remember the days when a certain US Senator (ahem, Jon Kyl) actually coined the phrase and applied it to online casinos.
That was ten years ago and, thus far, there is little evidence to suggest that Web casinos cause any more addiction issues than your typical form of gambling. In fact, all one needs to do is routinely visit your local convenience store to understand the real addictive forms of gambling come with the daily purchase of lottery tickets.
Professor David Nutt explained argues that “gambling addiction has a biological basis” and added that FOBTs are ‘powerful’ because they suck in the most vulnerable.
He says: “The more people gamble and the more excitement they get, the more they are vulnerable to becoming addicted.
“If you don’t do it you won’t get addicted.”
The fixed odds terminals though are the most popular and most profitable for bookmakers and casinos operating out of the UK.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
