In the united states, wagering statistics show that live and online wagering has generated as much as $91 thousand annually. The industry is liable for millions more in related tourist income as well as the economic benefit of hundreds of thousands of jobs. In some states, wagering through lotteries is even used to raise money for college scholarships and grants or much-needed infrastructure projects.
When it comes to the wagering statistics related to what types of games Americans are playing, there may be some surprises. While commercial casinos still take in the largest share of legal wagering revenue (43% in 2000), and lotteries take second place (28% in 2000), online wagering is estimated to bring in an amount that is roughly equal to what is spent in Indian casinos each year. As the internet reaches more homes, so does online wagering. And unfortunately, so do some of the possible negative side effects.
People who oppose wagering in general believe that it brings higher crime rates to an area. Of course, it is not eligible for online wagering, until you consider the possibility of your financial information being misused or hacked. But this risk is not an greater with online wagering than with online shopping or bill paying.
What is a concern is compulsive wagering. Some statistics on online wagering have shown that about ½ of 1% of the population may have a problem with compulsive wagering. True compulsive wagering means that the person cannot control their impulse to make the next bet, even when they are endangering their job, home, health, or relationships. And United states wagering statistics show that people are twice as likely to become addicted to wagering when a casino can be found within 50 miles of their home. With the advent of online casinos, there is no longer any true distance at all between a gambler and a casino, jokergame999 meaning more people have the potential to become addicted to their favorite online wagering game at a higher rate than to live wagering or playing the lottery. This has lead opponents of online gaming to call it the 'crack cocaine' of the wagering world.
This problem has a serious impact for those who suffer from it, with compulsive wagering statistics showing that as much as 48% of the members of Gamblers Nameless have considered suicide. And of those, more than 10% report having made a suicide attempt.
Plus, some opponents fear that there is a great deal of opportunity for money laundering and organized crime via online casinos. Since the US doesn't allow any of them to be located in the country, companies have set up shop in foreign countries with questionable, if any, regulations. Some fear that US online gamblers may be unknowingly leading to criminal activity.