The IGN Data Hub - Apr 18, 2001

18 April 2001
A Happy American Is A Happy Gambler
Yup, it's official now: Americans love to gamble and they love to play. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis has determined that Americans are spending less time working and more time playing, include gambling, traveling abroad and stock market trading. Americans' gambling expenditures are constantly growing. The report shows an average annual growth rate exceeding 21 percent during the past 40 years, while their casino gambling expenditures grew by 10.5 percent annually. Cell phone expenditures, which have been tracked since 1985, have increased sharply, by 51.8 percent, over a few years' time, and Internet access spending has grown 76.9 percent since 1988. "Trends in Consumer Spending, 1959-2000," a report just released by the Bureau, also shows that Americans are spending more money on the service sector, which accounted for less than 40 percent of overall consumer spending in 1959. That figure has climbed in recent years; spending in the services area now represents nearly 60 percent of all consumer spending.

Brits Buckle under for Gambling
An article by The Telegraph reports, "Britain is becoming a nation of compulsive gamblers who turn to betting shops, scratch cards, casinos and the Internet in the hope of making a fortune." Fueling the statement is a Manchester Metropolitan University study that says gambling in the U.K. has changed over the years from an activity for professionals to a much more widely accepted pastime. The study estimates that turnover from gambling is more than £27 billion. Dr. Ken Parsons, who authored the report, was scathing about gambling advertising, particularly that done by the National Lottery. "Advertising to date has been very slick and has been designed to make people think they have a good chance of winning the jackpot rather than the one in 14 million chance; or it has been designed to play upon people's charitable instincts, giving an impression of altruism," he said. Further, he reported that calls to Gamblers Anonymous have increased by 17 percent since the lottery launched in 1994. Another study of reformed gamblers paints a grim picture of what problem gamblers go through while caught in gambling's grip. More than 80 percent of the victims stole or engaged in illegal activities to pay for their gambling activities, while at least half did without food or clothing to gamble. In addition, 95 percent admitted to lying to family and friends to hide their problems and another third saw their family life breakdown.

Fed Sites Frequent Hacking Targets
A government review of federal U.S. government websites shows that at least 155 of them fell victim to hackers last year, reports VNUnet. The low number surprised at least one security consultant. "Government systems are often bought in bulk and installed to the same recipe," explained consultant Neil Barrett. "Finding a flaw and taking over one allows you to take over others easily." He added that government sites often install systems that he feels are "past their best." Meanwhile, congressional subcommittee chairman Billy Tauzin was harsh about the government's efforts to protect its websites. He said, "I think it would come as quite a surprise for most Americans to learn the extent to which these federal civilian agencies are the target of attacks by foreign and domestic sources bent on espionage or other malicious actions."

Less Fraud Likely at Online Auction Sites
The number of complaints about fraud at online auction sites has increased from 106 in 1997 to 13,901 in 1999, reports CNET News. That number has dropped sharply, however, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) only receiving 10,872 such reports last year. A spokesperson for the FTC attributed the decline to better consumer protection by the sites and smarter customers, as well as the fact that law enforcement groups are keeping a closer watch for such problems. "There's all kinds of laws on the books at varying levels that make it so that all kinds of law enforcement can get involved and bring cases," the spokesperson explained. "I think that sends a message out to sellers and consumers alike that there can be law enforcement in cyberspace." A spokesman for the giant auction site eBay said that they had seen the number of fraud cases on the site drop from about one in 35,000 auctions in 1999 to about one in 40,000 last year. eBay said that it has worked hard to educate and alert its customers against fraudulent activities.