A recent study commissioned by eCOGRA, the independent standards authority of the online gaming industry, has revealed that nearly 40 percent of online gambling players say that they use independent Internet message boards (“forums”) for a variety of purposes.
 
  The 11,000 respondents to the survey say that they use these forums to find out where the best bonuses are being offered, for tips in regards to the mathematics and odds behind certain gambling activities, for up to date info on the current US political gaming situation and other industry news, to swap information with other players on games, etc, and to simply investigate online venues before signing up at a new venue.
 
  Some of the top gambling “forums” actually have thousands of members who discuss a wide range of industry topics daily. Here’s a quick look into how popular these message boards actually are; Over the month of June alone, one popular forum experienced the opening of 373 new threads and a total of over 5000 new posts to their forum.
 
  Some of the more recognized forums that experience a lot of traffic will also offer the services of a mediator to aid players who can not directly settle disputes against each other.
 
  The study that was completed by Nottingham Trent University also indicated that it’s not only players who make use of the many gambling forums but also online casino staffers. They also use the message boards to keep up to date on industry news and to offer their expert input on disputes and discussions that may be taking place. They also use the forums to do research and gain insight into player trends and statistics.

More information about eCOGRA: 

• eCOGRA Review