Online Gambling is a huge business with millions of people visiting websites offering casino games, sports betting and more. But it is also a dangerous activity that can lead to financial stress, relationship problems, family violence and even mental health issues.

The research in this area has found that there is a need for more research into risk and protective factors to prevent and limit gambling harm. This article synthesises current knowledge about these factors and suggests some directions for future research. It is important to note that the majority of studies were cross-sectional and that the samples used in the studies were non-representative. It would be beneficial to use more representative samples and longitudinal studies in the future.

An interesting finding from the literature is that there appears to be a strong link between the environment in which individuals live and their gambling habits. Contextual variables such as the presence of academic issues in a university context appear to increase the likelihood that individuals will gamble online (Gainsbury et al, 2014c). Similarly, having relatives who have gambling problems increases the risk of problem gambling behaviour. In addition, there is evidence that women are more likely to be in the most problematic gambling cluster.

Individuals who want to control their gambling should be offered tools to do so. These include universal pre-commitment systems requiring individuals to set binding limits on their time and money spent gambling, as well as self-exclusion from gambling providers. However, the uptake of these systems is still low and it will be necessary to continue to promote them.