Really as Bad As They Say? The Truth about Online Poker

Gambling has always held a controversial place in the hearts of many U.S. Americans. Religious leaders, political strategists, psychologists and even parents have touted the evils of the online poker industry. Although many of the complaints have remained unfounded and unsupported, it is worthwhile to explore where some of these concerns are stemming from. It is unlikely that online poker is as evil as many claim and is surely not the end of the world as we know it today. Protestors assert that online poker rooms are feeding addictions, promote extensive cheating and corrupt the youth. Their protests may have an exaggerated slant; however, they do seem to hold powerful claims worth recognizing. Understanding where protests stem from will help combat problems that may stem from the game.

Addiction recovery groups are a loud leader in the voice against online games such as poker. Poker 1 percent offered through internet providers is affordable, often free and is open to anyone who can log-on. Additionally, poker has an addictive nature that is fed by the accessibility afforded by the internet. You can log on as an anonymous player and have access to unlimited funding. Together, people may have in increased confidence that negatively impacts their decision making and pushes them to engage in riskier, more incessant gambling choices then would be available in a live gaming room.

Cheating is a second reason online poker is hotly protested. Poker players themselves are concerned about the integrity of online gaming owners and believe that there is a significant opportunity for digital decks of cards to be stacked against the home players. Online poker organizations are also concerned that the players at home are involved in cheating rings as well. Players working in teams or players sharing cards put the poker host at an unfair advantage. Until there are better safeguards which protect both the players and the online poker hosts, the protests will continue.

Parent and educator groups also play an active role in protesting online poker sites. Parents fear that younger individuals are participating in gambling illegally and view it as corruptive. Parents and educators of older students worry that students are spending too much time playing poker instead of dedicating time to their educational advancement. This is a concern of great emphasis with college students as they frequently do not have their parents monitoring their time or internet use. Some studies suggest that thousands of students fail out of college because of their online poker playing. If this is indeed the case, protests of online poker providers may need to be recognized.

The internet has changed the face of poker playing. It has opened up the opportunity of competitive and leisure play to a demographic of people that previously would not have any formal poker playing venues. However, with the advent of internet playing, problems have become evident. Although the problems may not be as severe as many protesters claim, the severity of problems due to addiction, cheating and youth access to gambling may be enough to validate the protestors’ claims.