For many years there have been a range of vocal individuals around the world advocating for action to reduce the harm that is possible from gambling. These people have various viewpoints, suggestions and motives for their opinions but one thing that they have had in common is that it has been difficult to share ideas and opinions, and to help inform potentially like-minded people that may support their calls for change. However, with the increasing use of the internet many more people are organising consolidated efforts to push for change.

The internet is an extremely powerful way to deliver a message to a wide ranging audience due to its free and easy access, lack of censorship, and (more recently) limited knowledge required to post information online in a form that is easy to read and can convey the intended points of view.

The ability of people around the world to access the information the same way and at no additional cost when compared to the person next door means that the ability to garner support and advice from unexpected sources can help with any activism efforts.

The dynamic quality of the internet enables information to be added, changed or amended quickly. The internet also allows users to ‘pull’ the information that they are interested in when they want it rather than having to filter information to get to what they want.

The internet enables a variety of communication tools to be used which present information in a range of formats. These include websites, blogs (or web logs) and mailing lists.

The worldwide reach of the internet allows gambling activists around the world to support each others causes and share information and developments. This is important as gambling is an international business, whilst in the past, action on gaming has, tended to be localised and often simplistic in its approach.

The internet has allowed international research to be shared along with the lessons learnt from various campaigns on gambling issues. In this way efforts can be more effective as well as being more efficient with the use of limited resources.

Whilst the massive reach of the internet means that there are significant benefits in terms of delivering a message there are many examples of the internet being used to encourage more people to gamble. The increased exposure of children to gambling via the internet is also a concern, as apart from the lack of controls it has played a part in the world’s acceptance of gambling as a ‘normal’ part of life regardless of the consequences.

It has also meant that using the internet to promote advertising in one country can be viewed by citizens in other countries, and while not intentional can have negative effects. This is an issue that many online gambling activists have tried to tackle with various levels of success.

The internet is definitely a breeding ground for many of the future leaders of any movement for action on gambling. Gambler’s Help has a role to inform, support and facilitate the community in developing their positions on gambling and to be concerned about the issue. Community awareness of the significance of gambling and the potential for harm that it can cause the community is the objective and the internet is emerging as an important means to achieving this.