The Dangers of Online Gambling

Online Gambling involves placing bets using the internet. This includes activities such as sports betting, lottery games, keno, casino games and Electronic Gaming Machines (poker machines). Online gambling can be conducted anywhere with an internet connection. It can also be accessed on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. There are several risks associated with online gambling including addiction and cybercrime.

The number of people who gamble online continues to grow worldwide. However, it is unclear how many of these people have gambling problems. While there are a few risk indicators of gambling problems, it is hard to find single, unmistakable signs that may help identify problem gamblers. Further research is required to untangle the role that game-specific characteristics and the way in which these interact with risk indicators play in the emergence of gambling problems.

Gambling can be addictive and may lead to financial problems, debt, legal issues, family and relationship problems, and mental health problems. For this reason, it is important to keep in mind the signs of gambling addiction and seek help if you or someone you know has a problem. If you think you have a gambling problem, you can use GamCare’s free and confidential online assessment tool. This tool will ask you a series of questions about your gambling behaviour and give you a personalised report. You can then take further action if necessary.