Online poker currently stands as a multi-billion dollar business with more than 300 different websites. About two million people, seventy to eighty percent of whom are from the U.S. access a poker website every day, and more than seventy million dollars are gambled in Internet-based poker rooms every hour. Furthermore, the increased fame of televised poker games and poker strategy books made this type of online game even more popular. Besides, online players become motivated after hearing stories about average people winning lots of money on the Internet. In effect, a steadily increasing number of people are discovering the extreme rush brought by the online game and are including it in their daily activities.

Although online poker is fun, safe, and convenient for most people, it can cause severe consequences to the lives of many others. A certain problem now looming from Internet-based poker is the danger of being addicted to it. Despite of their being relatively new, the addictive nature of poker games online has already made an impact in many lives, particularly those of younger people, and the crisis continues to worsen. Some of the more alarming effects of online poker addiction can be seen in stories of employees losing their jobs and people committing suicide because of this type of online game. In addition, there are cases of students failing and dropping out of their classes and spending their entire tuition on online poker. Moreover, some people have even resorted to theft and forgery just to have money to gamble or pay for their Internet poker debts.