Online Study Finds Gamblers ‘Rational’
A new study suggests that online gamblers tend to be moderate and rational. They spend more time and money wagering when they are winning, and less time and less money when they are losing.
The study was conducted by a partnership between Bwin Interactive Entertainment and the Division on Addictions of the Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
“In this research we provide additional evidence in support of our previous research showing that most subscribers who gamble on the internet do so moderately,” said Howard Shaffer, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and director for the Cambridge Health Alliance’s Division on Addictions. “In fact, correlation analyses indicated that as percent lost increased, duration, total gambling sessions and total amount wagered all decreased, suggesting that individuals moderated their behavior based on their wins and their losses, exhibiting ‘rational’ betting behavior.”
The study also identified the average age of online gamblers at 28 and noted that almost 95 percent are male.
