A handful of online gamblers like the appropriately named 2003 World Series of Poker champ Chris Moneymaker played their way into the wildly popular televised poker tournaments, winning millions and becoming celebrities along the way. Many more are unsophisticated players who have lost thousands of dollars.

"Poker to me is just a calculated risk like stocks," McBride said.

But he also understands the pitfalls of Internet gambling. Online poker players, he said, often make careless decisions. Others can't hold them accountable for stupid plays. No one can ridicule them for mistakes at a cyber table. And then there is the cashless aspect.

"Your money becomes less tangible online. It is just a number on a screen. Many people don't realize that they're actually gambling with real money, money they worked hard for. It's easy for people to click the mouse and not realize they're actually risking their own hard-earned money," he said.

The social component

University of Utah English professor David Kranes has written several novels and plays set in the gaming culture. He moonlights as a casino design consultant and enjoys blackjack and video poker. "I also love a good dice game for the crazed community it briefly creates," he said.

But he is not a fan of online casinos.

"Because Internet gambling has no social component, it scares me. It seems a breeding ground for problem gamblers. I would be happy if Internet gaming were made illegal. It's hard to police, and it's done in solitude."

Psychologists at the University of Connecticut found in a 2002 study that online gamblers are more likely to have a serious gambling problem than those who play casino slot machines or the lottery.

Although playing on the Internet was the least common gambling activity among the study's 389 participants, the majority of those with online experience had the most serious problems.

"The availability of Internet gambling may draw individuals who seek out isolated and anonymous contexts for their gambling behaviors," according to the study published in an American Psychological Association journal. "Accessibility and use of Internet gambling opportunities are likely to increase with the explosive growth of the Internet."

The first online casino made its debut in August 1995, according to the American Gaming Association. Five years later, some 300 companies worldwide operated more than 1,800 Web sites offering sports betting, casino games, lotteries and bingo.

Some Internet gambling sites now advertise on television. Like most, the flashy sites offer promotions, bonus money and easy payment options to entice new players.

Popular Bodog.com in Costa Rica launched an aggressive multimillion-dollar TV campaign in the United States in May with commercials on networks such as ESPN, Discovery and MTV.

Also last month, a CoolCatCasino.com ad hit local television.