Online Gambling refers to the use of computer-based gambling platforms for betting on sporting events and other casino games. In some countries, these activities are legal and regulated by the government. In others, they are illegal and unregulated. The legal environment surrounding online gambling varies greatly from country to country. For example, the United States has federal regulations such as the Wire Act and UIGEA that impact financial transactions in relation to sports betting, but allow individual states to regulate online gaming platforms.

Gambling can have serious health consequences, including financial stress, relationship breakdown and mental illness, which may persist through generations. In addition, the legacy of gambling harm can affect the physical and social environments in which people live, with some evidence suggesting that it reduces community spirit and social cohesion. Prevention is therefore important, and strategies should be aimed at minimizing harm. Population-wide interventions are needed, such as ending advertising and promotions, implementing centralized account registration to require those who gamble to set binding limits on time and money spent, and allowing people to self-exclude from gambling providers.

This review aims to synthesise the current state of knowledge regarding risk and protective factors for online gambling. To do so, a literature search was conducted in three academic databases: PubMed, PsychInfo, and Scopus. The search was restricted to peer-reviewed articles, and keywords included “gambling” and variations of the words “online”, “internet”, and “interactive”. The studies selected were based on PICO criteria: population, intervention, comparison, outcome. The focus of the review was on the comparison between online and offline gambling, with a particular interest in differentials by degree of addiction severity. A number of critical elements emerged from the review, particularly in regard to sample size and methodology.