Online Gambling is the act of placing bets via Internet-connected devices. This can include computers, mobile phones and tablets. It can involve a wide variety of games, including slots, poker, and sports betting. Some online casinos develop their own software, while others use third-party providers. The latter can be beneficial for players, because they are incentivized to create games that are trustworthy and fair, rather than rigged. In addition, reputable gaming websites invest in the best technology to maximize player engagement and retention.
Many countries restrict or ban online gambling, but it is legal in some states of the United States, some provinces of Canada, most countries in the European Union and several nations in and around the Caribbean Sea. It is a rapidly growing industry, and it is expected to expand even further in the future as the number of mobile devices that can access gambling sites increases.
Despite the low base rates of addiction, some people experience problems with gambling, and harms can range from minor to severe. Typical harms include financial loss and difficulty accessing essential goods and services. Some individuals also experience psychological distress, which may impact their quality of life and affect family and social relationships. The ubiquity of Internet-enabled gambling and heavy promotion of gambling online and through sport poses risks of normalizing these activities for children and young people.
To explore knowledge of risk and protective factors in online gambling, a systematic literature review was conducted. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2020. Syntaxes were created for PubMed, PsychInfo and Scopus to search for articles relating to risk factors, protective factors, predictors and correlates of online gambling.