Online Gambling involves betting or playing games of chance or skill for money using a computer, tablet, smartphone or other internet-enabled device. It can be a fun, exciting and rewarding pastime, or it can become a serious problem. Fortunately, there are many options available to help individuals who are concerned about their gambling behaviour. The first step is to take GamCare’s free online assessment tool, which will ask a series of questions and give you a personalised report to guide your next steps.

A number of countries have legalized online gambling, including most states in the United States, some provinces in Canada, and the majority of European Union nations. Some of these jurisdictions have state monopolies on the gaming industry, while others license and regulate online casinos as part of their business models. Some of these jurisdictions have strict anti-money laundering laws, which limit the ability of some banks to process transfers to online gambling sites.

Some online casino platforms offer responsible gambling tools and features, such as self-set spending limits, time outs and other tailored notifications based on analysis of player accounts to identify risky behaviour. These tools and features can be effective in reducing the likelihood of gambling-related harm, especially for high-risk players.

Treatment programs for online gambling addiction often include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches patients how to change their thoughts and actions. Other therapies that are used in gambling addiction treatment include motivational interviewing (MI), a process that helps patients to address their ambivalence about changing their behavior.