- A study conducted by UK affiliate Jackpot.co.uk reports that online poker players have an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 and 23% drink more than the UK recommended amount of alcohol per week.
- The survey received 2,131 useable responses from gamblers. Bar the excessive drinking habits, online poker players came out on the healthier side of average.
- Poker players are less likely to smoke than the UK average, and they are much more likely to take exercise. 58% report that they engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week.
A study conducted by UK affiliate Jackpot.co.uk reports that online poker players have an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 and 23% drink more than the UK recommended amount of alcohol per week.
The survey received 2,131 useable responses from gamblers. Bar the excessive drinking habits, online poker players came out on the healthier side of average.
Poker players are less likely to smoke than the UK average, and they are much more likely to exercise. 58% report that they engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week.
Youthfulness accounts for some of the better scores achieved by poker players. They have an average age of 38, much younger than the average age of gamblers on other activities. The average age of slots players is 45, and for dice/craps players 48. Even video poker players are on average older than poker players, recording an average of 42.
The study also reported that 14,4% of respondents preferred gambling at live casinos, 65.2% used a desktop or laptop, and 20.4% gambled on a mobile device.
Tough Mind Games Demand Fitness
The editor of Jackpot and author of the report is convinced of the reasons for the different results for different games.
“There’s an undeniable link connecting passive games like slots and video poker to unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles,” explained Sam Marsden. “On the other hand, games that require concentration, strategy and some physical stamina like poker and blackjack seem to fare much better in the health stakes. It seems it’s less a case of ‘you are what you eat’ and more ‘you are what you play’.”
Studying Health Factors by Game is New
Dr. Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies, at Nottingham Trent University, has a particular interest in the health issues associated with gambling. He commented that the results were unsurprising overall, “as there are many studies (including my own) showing comorbidity between gambling and other potentially addictive behaviours.”
Griffiths did find the distinction by game type to be of real interest. “However, very few academic studies have ever looked at these health variables by game type. Although this was not an academic study, the results will likely be of interest to those in the gambling studies field.”
