Online Gambling involves placing a wager on a game of chance or skill for money over the Internet, using a computer, tablet or mobile device. It’s a $9.5 billion per year industry and is legal in many jurisdictions. However, despite its popularity and ease of access, online gambling can be risky. It can lead to debt, addiction, and other mental health problems, and it can strain relationships and cause serious financial consequences.
In the United States, laws related to online gambling are at the state level and vary widely. For example, there are no federal laws banning online gambling, but the Wire Act makes it illegal to offer sports betting via any kind of telephone-like device. Nevertheless, people who gamble online are rarely charged or prosecuted. Instead, authorities focus their enforcement efforts on the people running the online casinos or sports betting websites.
Several studies have found that the more someone engages in Internet modes of gambling, the more likely they are to experience gambling-related problems. However, not all highly involved gamblers have a high risk of gambling problems, and the same holds true for low involvement gamblers who screen negatively for gambling-related problems. This suggests that the variables influencing gambling are complex and multifaceted.
Young people are increasingly being exposed to gambling behaviours through features in online games, such as loot boxes and skin gambling. In this short video, Myleene Klass discusses how adults can educate children and young people about what gambling is, the risks of different forms of online gambling and how to respond if they see signs that a child or young person might be at risk of developing a problem.
