Poker is One of the "Safest" Games, According to Norway Study
According to the University of Bergenin Norway, poker is considered one of the “safest,” or lowest risk, games available. As PokerNews elaborated, “Researchers found out that poker carries a risk factor of 1.09 out of 10. The value puts the game in a better and safer spot than most of the gambling games, such as live bingo, online bingo, and Belago – a slot-like game played on specific interactive video terminals – [which] scored 8.33, 7.14, and 6.25, respectively.”
Inputs into the numbers included the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, which PokerNews described as “a tool based on research on the most common signs and consequences of problem gambling.” The Index has 31 questions, each with answers that are assigned a numerical value.
According to Pokerfuse, a low percentage of Norway’s residents have played online poker in general: “The survey reports that only 4.7% of respondents have played online poker and only 0.2% at higher betting volumes, defined as wagering more than $4,600 over the previous 12 months.” There were 10,000 respondents in the survey, meaning 470 had played online poker.
Norway is re-tooling its gambling laws and, according to the same Pokerfuse report, “The results of this study will help to inform the response the government makes and provide much data that will inform subsequent political debate.”
Information found on the website of the US-based National Council on Problem Gambling hinted at a correlation between problem gambling and the speed of a game: “One risk factor may be a fast speed of play. In other words, the faster the wager-to-response time with a game, the more likely players may be to develop problems with a particular game.”
One percent of US adults are considered pathological gamblers, while 2% to 3% are considered problem gamblers. The Council added, “Research also indicates that most adults who choose to gamble are able to do responsibly.” The deleterious social effects of gambling are continually brought up in debates over whether to legalize the game.
Stay tuned to PocketFives for the latest poker news.
Want the latest poker headlines and interviews? Follow PocketFives on Twitterand Like PocketFives on Facebook. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed.
