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Proponents of cyberspace betting indicate
that children will not be able to access these
accounts. Security measures may include personal
identification numbers (PIN), passwords, credit
card numbers or E-cash (electronic money).
Unfortunately, many kids have easy access to
their parents’ accounts and most adults are not
aware of their child’s PC activities. In the
future we may see voice recognition, video
verification and thumb print identification.
Several sites have recently started to place
links to both Gamblers Anonymous
gamblersanonymous.org and CCGNJ in an attempt to
increase awareness of problem gambling and to
offer referrals to compulsive gamblers. The
countries of New Zealand and Australia are
investigating possible regulatory control over
Internet gambling.
The real threat comes from the isolation and
secrecy of the betting activity itself. I call
this threat the "cave syndrome", due to the
gambler’s isolated behavior and hidden activity.
When a child goes to the racetrack or casino, he
or she will hopefully be restricted entry to the
window or floor. But when they are alone in
front of their screen, they can bet and get out
of control. There are no external social
controls placed on individuals and their fate is
left to the remote operators.
What all of this expanding technology means to
potential compulsive gamblers is they have yet
another opportunity to become addicted. In an
effort to increase awareness of Internet
gambling, the Council will increase its presence
on the Net. We will be one of the first
organizations in the world addressing this issue
and hopefully will act as a trailblazer for
others. Just as law enforcement is now surfing
the Net, so will ours’ and several other
Councils be out there advocating for the
suffering compulsive gambler and those affected
by this devastating illness.
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