The initial publication of a study resulting in a collaboration between the Harvard Medical School faculty from the Division of Addictions and popular online sports betting website, Bwin, has been published, offering unique insight on the behaviors of online sports bettors. Considered the first gambling study of its kind, rather than using surveys and objectified opinions, the study was performed by observing, first-hand, the behaviors of more than 40,000 online punters over an eight month period.

The results of the research are surprising to say the least. Among sports bettors, expectations were to find heightened levels of problem gambling and addiction, as most anti-gambling activists would have the public to believe. On the contrary, the results show significantly low levels of gambling addiction and high levels of moderate online gambling behavior. As determined by the study, the average loss of online punters was thirty-three Euros over the eight month time period, with only .4% of punters being classified as high risk bettors with sizable losses.

Participating in a workshop yesterday to discuss the findings were Dr. Richard LaBrie and Dr. Howard Shaffer of the Harvard Medical School, GAMcare CEO, Geoffrey Godbold, and Bwin co-CEO's, Norbert Teufelberger and Manfred Bodner. Both Harvard Doctors stated that the study results show much lower than expected levels of potential online sports betting addiction, while GAMcare's Godbold referred to the research as greatly valuable in helping to identify problem gamblers in the early stages.

The second phase of the study seeks to determine how bettors go about reporting gambling addiction. Continuing to bridge the void that is often left between researchers and practitioners, which in this case are the online gamblers themselves, so long as results are in line with the first phase of research, the study will certainly give the gaming industry more leverage when confronted with claims that the online environment leads to increased levels of problem and underage gambling. Much thanks should be given to Bwin for allowing such an expansive study to take place, which ultimately will result in even better science and technology to protect the welfare of online gamblers.