A study from a professor in Canada is urging the United States and Canada to legalize and regulate online gambling.

From Reuters:

The study — conducted jointly by academics of the University of Western Ontario in Canada and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas — found that online gambling is readily accessible via the Internet even though it is outlawed or in a “legal grey area” in United States and Canada.

Online gambling is big business, the study said, estimating worldwide spending at more than C$10 billion ($10 billion) a year.

Betting online is a problem, the study says, because it has the potential to be more addictive than casino gambling. Online gamblers can hide their activity more easily than casino gamblers, and betting can quickly become a routine part of their daily lives.