The online gambling industry has grown rapidly in recent decades due to the intrinsic characteristics of online platforms (accessibility, anonymity). However, it is important to note that, when not managed well, online gambling can have negative consequences for people. This article aims to present the current state of knowledge regarding risk and protective factors for online gambling in adults. To achieve this, a literature search was conducted in the PubMed, PsychInfo and Scopus databases. This search was restricted to peer-reviewed articles and analysed cross-sectionally. Two types of comparisons were made: online versus offline gamblers and online nonproblematic versus online problematic gamblers.
The results show that, with regard to the individual level, high impulsivity and a dysfunctional personality seem to be correlated with an increased likelihood of gambling problems. A more in-depth analysis of the cognitive components reveals that gamblers experience cognitive distortions such as the illusion of control. However, the relationship between these features and problem gambling has been rarely investigated. Moreover, only a few studies have been carried out to investigate variables acting at the relational and contextual levels. For instance, several studies have found that having rare and negative relationships is more likely to be associated with gambling problems. Similarly, being in academic contexts such as universities appears to increase the tendency to gamble online.
It is also important to note that young people can be introduced to gambling behaviours by features in online games such as loot boxes or skin betting. Therefore, it is important that trusted adults try to educate children and young people about these forms of online gambling and gambling-adjacent behaviours.
