Online Gambling is a type of gambling that occurs through an Internet connection on a computer, tablet or mobile phone. It allows gamblers to place wagers on games of chance or skill for money and is one of the fastest growing forms of gambling. Many of these sites accept credit cards, e-wallets and other forms of payment. Those who gamble should always use a trusted bank or fund transfer service and only play on licensed and regulated platforms to protect their financial and personal data.
In addition to financial harms, online gambling can lead to social and psychological problems. It can be a trigger for substance and gambling disorders, as well as relationship breakdown, family violence, and other negative effects on children. It can also lead to money laundering and corruption, as it is a common way for criminals to launder funds from illegal activities. In some countries, it is legal to gamble for real money through online casinos, but in others, it is illegal.
The majority of studies investigating the relationship between gambling behaviours and online gambling have been correlational. However, a few papers have compared online gamblers with land-based gamblers to investigate differences between the two groups. In general, online gamblers seem to be less sociable and have a more dysfunctional personality than offline gamblers. They also appear to have more impulsivity than offline gamblers and are at higher risk for gambling-related problems. Gainsbury et al. (2017) also found that online gamblers have a higher rate of “chasing losses” than land-based gamblers, which is a typical symptom of pathological gambling.