Online Gambling is any type of gambling conducted over the Internet, including casinos, sports betting, poker, and lottery games. It’s a $9.5 billion industry, and can be fun and exciting. However, it can also be harmful to your mental health and cause problems like addiction, just as it can with alcohol or drugs.

Regulatory oversight is important, and many online gambling platforms have tools to help players stay in control. Many offer time-out periods, which allow players to lock themselves out of their accounts for a set period of time to avoid the temptation of gambling. They also offer loss limits, which help players limit how much they can lose in a given session. These features are especially useful for newcomers to the industry.

Research on risk and protective factors of online gambling is in its infancy, but some important themes have emerged. For example, a recent study by Gainsbury (2015) found that a high level of impulsivity was associated with problem gambling in both internet and land-based gamblers. Other studies have reported similar results. Similarly, some studies have compared online and offline gamblers and found that the most problematic cluster includes more women than men.

Online gambling fraud is a serious issue that can put players and operators at risk. A proactive approach that extends fraud prevention to critical interactions like deposits and withdrawals, helps reduce operational strain. It also allows fraud teams to focus on higher-risk threats and build lasting player trust.