News

Hold the Phone…Text betting is here.

First there was internet gambling and now as the World Cup kicks off text betting has arrived. Companies such as O2 and T-mobile will provide the service along with bookmakers’ includingTotesport whose version has been launched to coincide with the sporting event of the year.

Totesport spokesman Paul Petrie says the service will make it easier for young people, “We’re hoping this will appeal to a younger generation who are already familiar with texting as a communication channel”.

According to Mr Petrie this type of betting reflects a desire of young people for choice and accessibility, reflecting current trends such as “voting on Big Brother, Xfactor and I’m a celebrity”.

The affects of text betting have yet to be examined fully although it clearly advances many elements of online betting.

Online Gambling expert Professor Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University highlights factors such as escapism, interactivity and anonymity which can lead to addiction in online gaming and could apply to this new service.

According to Professor Griffiths the difficulty of electronic gambling is the lack of ‘gate keeping’ it provides, “In Cyberspace how can you be sure that adolescents don’t have access by using a parent’s credit card?”