Unfortunately one of the most popular activities online is gambling. For those of us who are not interested in gambling, it may seem odd or unbelievable. But for anyone who likes to gamble or has a gambling problem, online betting is a 24/7 temptation. In 2006, more than $15 billion dollars was spent on online gambling.

In addition to the problem the Internet presents for compulsive gamblers , betting sites are often a teenager's first exposure to Internet gambling and the promise of big winnings may be hard to resist. The earlier a person is exposed to betting and gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life.

Internet gambling can be more of a problem than traditional racetracks and casinos because of several factors:

• The person may not feel they are actually playing with real money because they are using a credit card.
• It is easy to lose a sense of time and it is available around the clock
• No one knows the person is gambling – they may look like they are working, playing, studying . . .
• Online betting sites require visitors to be over 18, but have no real way of checking a visitor's age.

So what is the solution?

Well, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) made most forms of Internet gambling illegal in the US. However, there are still many legal forms of online betting and Americans still have access to many betting websites.

The closest one can get to a full proof solution to stop loved ones from betting online is to install a filter to block betting sites form all home computers. By blocking betting sites , the temptation is removed. Further, if children do not have any access to begin with, they don't even become aware of the opportunity to bet online until they are older and better decision makers.