Some officials in Australia think that they’re going to eradicate problem gambling in the country by releasing smart cards. One anti-gamer thinks that online sportsbooks targets – yes that’s the word they used, as though sportsbooks are out to get us – lonely women who are in need of recreation and social fulfillment, and so releasing cards that will allow punters to give themselves a spending limit will change this.
Well, what’s wrong with online sports betting if you’re bored and lonely once in a while? I mean, if you go by Bet10’s logic that you cannot consult with other punters when you bet on sports, then shouldn’t you be alone when you wager?
Any reputable online sportsbook that you bet on will allow you to put a spending limit on your account. Aside from that, you can put a restriction on your account that will prevent you from wagering for a designated amount of time. So I guess I really don’t understand this stigma that online gambling sites are irresponsible, since they’ve thought of this before the anti-gamers did.
I’m not saying the card isn’t a good idea. I just don’t foresee many punters taking advantage of something that is already at their disposal, unless they’re forced into it, of course. But since the punter decides what his spending limit is there’s tons of room for error.
There’s never going to be a surefire answer to problem gambling, just as there’s no surefire answer to alcoholism, shopping addictions, addictions to drug prescriptions, etc. As adults, we must realize that we are quite prone to addiction – in any vice or simple recreational activity. We must also, as adults, learn to take responsibility for our own habits.
You know there are people that report that they’d rather browse the web than have sex? To me, that’s the surest sign of an addiction. If a 20 year-old man prefers sitting on myspace to his carnal needs and desires, that’s a problem that should be looked into.