Online Gambling involves using a computer, tablet or mobile device to place wagers on various casino games. It is accessible in a large number of countries and can be used by people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Although it is less common than offline gambling, it is growing in popularity as technology advances. It also has extensive regulations that vary by country.
The majority of studies on the risk and protective factors of iGaming have been conducted between 2010 and 2020. A comprehensive literature search in PubMed and PsychInfo was conducted with syntax encompassing: (ab(online, internet, interactive) AND ab(gambling) OR (ab(risk factor) OR (protective factor) OR (predictor) OR (correlate)).
Environmental influences play a significant role in online gambling, as easy access to gambling sites via mobile devices, targeted advertising, and social pressures encourage the behavior. Additionally, reward system dysregulation causes people to gamble compulsively in response to rewards and triggers feelings of pleasure and excitement that mimic those of using drugs or alcohol. This leads to poor decision-making under stress, and is a major contributing factor of pathological gambling.
Personality traits have not been studied extensively, though high impulsivity is a frequent characteristic of gamblers and appears to be associated with a higher probability of online problematic gambling. Several articles have found that females are more likely to be problematic gamblers and spend more on gambling than men. Finally, some research has reported that chasing losses is more likely to occur in women than in men.