The UK government is not in agreement when it comes to online casino numbers.  The Department of Culture is disputing some recent studies conducted by the Gambling Commission.  Both departments have recently tried to understand whether gambling in online casinos is causing addiction and mass debt.  The departments arrived at different findings.  The Gambling Commission says that online casino gambling is on the rise.

In fact they state that problems in online casino gambling are increasing because the online casinos are more popular.  Unfortunately the Department of Culture does not agree.  The Gambling Department stated 7.4 percent of online casino gamblers develop a problem in which they become compulsive.  However, the Department of Culture states that it is only .6 percent of individuals who gamble that will develop an issue.

The spokesperson for the Department of Culture stated that the level of gambling problems has not increased since the beginning of online casinos in 1997.  While there is an increase in the number of gamblers online they are not becoming addicts.  It is difficult to know who is right when the studies are being bandied about in the media.

The supposition is that the numbers have been reported as high in order to stop online casinos from advertising.  It has also made gaming licenses for companies harder to obtain.  At the moment only online casinos in the UK can advertise if the country is on the white list.  The study did show a 5.2 percent of gamblers in the UK in 2008.

What we can report is that the online casinos are popular and they are doing everything they can to gain consumers within the regulations.  Gambling in both land casinos and online casinos has always been a thing of debate.  There will always be those who do not want casinos to prosper.

For players in online casinos there are now more options than ever.  It is not like the online world of 1997 where a few online casinos were opened.  There are now 3D options, interactive sites, and hundreds of different games to choose from.  The debate within the government will not affect the online casino industry enough to get rid of the latest and greatest options for online casinos.  Playtech, Rival, Microgaming, and many other companies are working to bring new games and new casinos online each year to satisfy their consumers.  Popularity is definitely up.