The Current State of Knowledge Regarding Risk and Protective Factors in Online Gambling

Online Gambling is an activity that involves placing wagers and/or putting bets on events over the Internet. This type of gambling differs from traditional land-based casinos, lottery and racing tickets, and telephone betting. It is accessible to individuals from a variety of locations, and requires high-speed Internet connections. Online gambling is growing in popularity as a form of entertainment and can be very addictive, especially if players do not manage their bankrolls effectively.

The current state of knowledge regarding risk and protective factors in online gambling is reviewed. A literature review was carried out on studies that investigated these factors using data from online gamblers. A significant number of these articles used non-representative samples and cross-sectional analyses. Two critical issues emerged from the analysis of these findings.

The most commonly reported problem associated with online gambling is money-related, and it has been linked to an increased amount of household debt and a higher expenditure on gambling activities. Other problems that are commonly encountered include disruption of relationships and feelings of withdrawal when trying to stop gambling. These problems are not dissimilar to those found in other forms of addiction, and they should be evaluated carefully by a therapist. In addition, some research has indicated that a low level of involvement in gambling is a protective factor against developing gambling problems. However, these results are not supported by behavioural data and more research is needed to confirm these findings. In the meantime, some online gambling operators have voluntarily implemented policies and procedures to identify potential risky users.