Online Gambling is the activity of placing wagers on games of chance or skill via a computer, smartphone or tablet. It’s not the same as playing at a brick and mortar casino, but it’s fast becoming a popular activity for people who prefer to gamble from the comfort of their own home. It’s legal to gamble online in many countries, including the United States, most of Europe and Australia.

The online mode of gambling is increasing rapidly due to intrinsic characteristics that make it particularly attractive to players (accessibility, anonymity). This article presents the current state of knowledge about risk and protective factors related to the practice of Internet gambling. It includes both cross-sectional studies and longitudinal research. Risk and protective factors at the individual, relational and contextual level have been analysed. In addition, comparisons between online and offline gambling have been made.

Personality traits have not been widely explored, but high impulsivity has been found to be associated with problem online gambling. In addition, people who gamble online are less likely to report a sense of control over their gambling behaviour, and tend to be more prone to cognitive distortions. The presence of gambling within video games has also been analyzed, but there is limited evidence about how this might influence gameplay. In terms of prevention, universal pre-commitment and self-exclusion appear to be the most effective strategies. Nonetheless, some aspects specific to online gambling might be better targeted by dedicated prevention interventions.