Online Gambling has been a growing trend in recent years, and is expected to continue to grow. Currently there are around 2000 regulated gambling sites worldwide. This industry has been gaining popularity because of its accessibility and convenience, but has also caused problems such as underage gambling. It is important for trusted adults to help children and young people understand what online gambling is, the risks involved and how to respond if they suspect someone may be addicted.

The aim of this literature review is to synthesize and systematize existing knowledge regarding risk and protective factors for online gambling among the adult population. This is achieved by analyzing both quantitative and qualitative evidence and comparing offline and online gamblers. Two types of comparison are carried out: (1) comparison of factors that distinguish offline from online gamblers; and (2) comparison of online nonproblematic and problematic gamblers.

Several critical elements emerge from the analysis: Gainsbury et al. (2014c) reported that chasing losses, a characteristic of pathological gambling, is more common in female than male gamblers; while Khazaal et al. (2017) found that women are more likely to be within the most problematic gambling cluster than men.

In addition, a number of different therapeutic techniques can be used to assist in the treatment of gambling disorders. These include cognitive behavioral therapy, where a person works with a therapist to identify and challenge faulty thinking patterns such as feeling they are due to win after a loss; and motivational interviewing, where a person is assisted by a counselor in overcoming ambivalence about change.