Online Gambling is betting or playing games of chance for money via a computer, tablet, or mobile phone with an internet connection. It is a $9.5 billion business in the United States, but many people can experience harm from gambling, including addiction. It is included in the American Psychiatric Association’s classification of mental health disorders along with alcohol and drug use.
There are a number of things you can do if someone you know is struggling with gambling. Consider getting them a professional evaluation, and try to help them find ways to cope with their problem in healthy ways. You should also avoid paying for their gambling-related debts and protect your own finances by updating passwords and ordering new cards, if necessary.
To gamble online, you will need three things: a device (computer, mobile phone, or tablet), a stable internet connection, and money. After creating an account, you can load a certain amount of money into it (called your “bankroll”), which will then allow you to choose games and place bets. You can then withdraw your winnings or deposit more money to continue playing.
Variables that influence gambling include the surroundings and life context to which a person belongs, as well as their individual characteristics. However, in the selected articles, only a few studies have explored these factors. For example, Gainsbury et al. reported that females are more likely to be problematic gamblers than men, and Khazaal et al. found that university students are at a greater risk to be problematic gamblers than non-university students.