Responsible Gaming Council Poker Poll Shows One In Five Ontarians Play Poker For Money
According to a Responsible Gaming Council Poker Poll, one in five Ontario residents play poker for money, and people are alarmed that this could very well escalate to a gambling problem. The poll was conducted by Ispos-Reid.
The results of the poll were released Nov. 8th, revealing 37 percent of young adults (18-34 years old) play poker for money. Of that number, nearly half admitted to having played poker for more than two years. The poll also showed that they now play more often, with a quarter of that number saying that they play at least once a week or more often.
"While actual gambling participation is decreasing across all age groups, there is one exception to that trend - the significant growth in popularity ofonline poker among younger people. It is a cause for concern because this age group spends the most time online and is the most likely to get into trouble with gambling," explains Dr. Jon Kelly, CEO for the Responsible Gambling Council.
"According to the Responsible Gambling Council Poker Poll, 16 per cent of those aged 18-34 believe that poker is a good way to earn extra money," says Laurie Bell, the Council's Director of Prevention Programs.
"And even more disturbing is the fact that 4 per cent believe they could earn a living playing poker. It's this risky way of thinking about poker and the glamorization of the game that could contribute to a gambling problem."
The public shares a similar concern. According to the poll, an overwhelming 69 percent of Ontarians believe that real money play in online poker is a problem today, while 67 percent believe that playing live poker in bars and casinos is a real problem at the moment.
Moreover, 6 percent of the poker players admitted that they sometimes get alarmed about their frequency of poker playing, while 18 percent are worried about the poker habits of a friend or family member.
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