What is Online Gambling?

Online Gambling is betting or playing games of chance for money, using a remote device like a computer or mobile phone connected to the internet. It can be found on many websites, and is legal in some countries. In others, specific kinds of gambling are explicitly banned, while in some places, gambling is regulated and governed by state laws.

Trusted adults can play an important role in educating young people about the risks of online gambling and gambling-adjacent behaviours, as well as helping them if they are developing problems. But there are also a number of other factors that can affect whether or when a young person decides to gamble online. For example, features in some online games such as loot boxes and skin betting may encourage gambling behaviours. These features can have serious consequences for young people, including losing large sums of money, accruing debts and even mental illness.

A range of interventions are available to limit the harms associated with online gambling, including the removal of advertising and promotions, centralized account registration to require people who gamble to set binding loss limits, and restrictions on access (opening hours, density). Further research is needed on the impact of behavioural economics ‘dark nudges’, which can undermine existing health promotion messages, and to identify risk factors that influence the choice and use of online gambling.

Currently, the majority of research into gambling is done in a laboratory setting. However, it is not always possible to replicate results in real-world situations. The development of new technologies and the expansion of Internet access are enabling different forms of gambling to be brought into homes around the world.