The Risks and Protective Factors of Online Gambling

Online Gambling is an activity in which a person can place bets on sporting events or casino games over the internet. The industry is regulated in some states in the US and some countries in Europe and Asia. Most reputable online casinos take responsible gambling seriously and offer account tools like deposit limits, time controls, and self-exclusion periods to help gamblers control their spending. Many sites also feature on-site resources that provide tips for healthy gaming and advice on how to recognize the first signs of problem gambling.

The risk factors and protective factors of online gambling have not been extensively studied. The few studies that have been conducted are based on cross-sectional data and mainly use nonrepresentative samples. It is therefore difficult to draw conclusions about the relationship between the different variables. Furthermore, the majority of the studies do not differentiate between male and female gambling behaviour.

A few papers have focused on relational and contextual factors. For example, Gainsbury et al. (2014c) found that a high level of impulsivity is associated with online problematic gambling, while Edgren et al. (2017) report that female online gamblers are at greater risk of developing problematic gambling than men. The latter study also reports that women are more likely to engage in chasing losses, a characteristic of pathological gambling.

Other aspects of online gambling have been explored as well. For instance, a few papers report that young people are more exposed to online gambling through advertising and social media. Another factor that could be linked to online gambling is cybercrime. For example, online gambling platforms are susceptible to hacking and phishing attempts. This is why it is important to choose a secure and reliable gambling site.