Online Gambling is gambling done over the Internet using apps, websites and credit cards. It is a fast-growing activity that can be addictive and lead to gambling problems. People can gamble anytime of the day or night and are often exposed to constant advertising and special offers. This makes it hard to stop and is a leading cause of addiction.

It is important to recognize a gambling problem and take action. Treatment options include therapy and support groups like Gamblers Anonymous. In severe cases, medication can be used to help manage underlying mental health conditions. It is also important to seek family and professional support.

There are several key concerns about online gambling: it is often promoted through heavy sponsorship and promotion, which can increase risk taking among young people; it can lead to a variety of harms including relationship breakdown, family violence, financial stress, stigma and income-generating crimes (theft, fraud), and it can have a negative impact on the integrity of civil institutions such as law enforcement, education and healthcare. In the United States, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which prohibits the processing of funds for illegal online gambling, but it has not been fully enforced. This article provides a synthesis of current knowledge about risk and protective factors for online gambling in adults, using data from 42 papers that were included in a literature review conducted in the PubMed, PsychInfo and Scopus databases. The majority of the studies are cross-sectional; it would be useful to carry out longitudinal studies to explore mechanisms of risk and protection.