An ambitious survey intended to help online casino operators and regulatory policymakers prevent problem gambling on the internet, as well as assist players in controlling destructive gambling habits, is in its preliminary stages, and looks as if it will be getting the necessary funding so long as online gambling sites support the efforts behind the survey. Unlike the survey announced by eComerce Gaming Regulation and Assurance, which is intended to increase player satisfaction at online casinos, this survey hope to help construct an industry-wide approach to helping educate and treat problem online gamblers.

Dr. Jaime Wiebe, President of the Canadian-based Factz Research Institute, and the Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, Keith Whyte, teamed up and presented the idea to the Interactive Gaming Council, which has openly expressed its support of the survey and already started recruiting participants for the survey.  However, Dr. Wiebe says in order to accurately assess the global situation of problem online gambling, many more participants will be needed.  Wiebe says that online casino and gaming website participation is paramount, and that all websites who choose to do so will remain anonymous.

Dr. Wiebe say's that hardly any valuable evidence has been done in this regard, and that the best and only way to do so is to have access to the players who are frequenting online casinos and gambling sites. Only by talking to the players themselves will operators and regulators truly know what is going on inside their minds. Once enough gaming sites are signed up to participate in the survey - thus insuring access to enough players - Dr. Wiebe says the survey will be written up, which should not be too laborious of a task considering Weibe has conducted four studies on problem gambling in the last ten years.  Dr. Weibe has a PhD in Community Health with a concentration in Addictions Research and is NCGP (neutral on gambling).

Breaking through the online casino gambling industry to instill more dependable prevention tactics based on tangible research has been a difficult challenge since gambling over the internet is a highly isolated activity. In other words, gamblers have access to online casinos every second of the day, and can easily fall under the radar in such a vast, virtual landscape. However, the hope is that with the advanced technology the internet is capable of fostering, preventing and controlling problem online gambling in a highly effective way is most certainly possible.

Whyte summed it up nicely when he said the industry needs not only the online casino operators to step up to the plate, but any and everybody involved in the industry.  There is no difference in gambling over the internet and gambling in a brick 'n mortar location. If sound facts are not available to advise the regulators on how best to enforce online gaming regulations, (global regulation could be coming very soon), unfair and misguided rules could be enforced.