Undaunted by a local website ban on pornography, growing numbers of Internet users are hitting X-rated pages while gambling sites are on the decline, the French-founded NetValue, a global Internet measurement company, said.

Of Singapore's estimated 808,000 active Internet users, the number visiting adult sites jumped from 32 to 36 percent in the first three months of the year, while the use of gambling sites fell from 36 to 33 percent.

"Although the reach across adult and gambling sites are somewhat similar, visitors on the average spent more than five times longer at the adult sites," said Jack Loo, NetValue's Singapore manager.

Gambling occupied an average 12.5 minutes per user, compared to 64 minutes for adult sites.

Visitors to both gambling and sex sites shared similar profiles, according to NetValue.

Most were male adults under the age of 25, with professional and executive workers comprising 38.8 percent of the hits on adult sites and 41.9 percent of visits to the gambling sector.

"The positive news is that the proportion of students visiting adult sites has declined from 40 percent in January to 32.6 percent in March," Loo said.

"There is also a significant drop in the 15 to 24 age group, from 46.4 percent to 36.6 percent."

Only in the over 35 age bracket was there more interest in gambling than cyber-sex.

Singapore, where magazines showing even partial nudity are banned, frowns upon Internet porn but has all but given up the uphill fight to shield its young from cyber-sex, stressing the need for family guidance instead.

Last month, the government acknowledged the hold of Internet gambling and pornography on surfers when it announced a new programme to fight Internet addiction.

The pervasive influence of personal computers and the Internet at home and in the office has seen the emergence of online addiction, Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee said, citing cyber-pornography and on-line gambling.