Online Gambling is any kind of gambling conducted on the Internet, including virtual poker and casinos. It was first offered to the public in October 1994 and, like its brick-and-mortar counterparts, generates billions in revenue each year.
One major benefit of online gambling is convenience – it can be done from anywhere with a stable Internet connection. It also allows players to access many promotions and bonuses that are often not available in brick-and-mortar establishments. In addition, players can enjoy a greater variety of games and, in some cases, a more extensive sportsbook.
While online gambling offers many benefits, it is important to remember that it can be addictive and that some people may develop a gambling disorder. If you think you have a problem, it is recommended that you seek professional help from GamCare. Alternatively, you can take GamCare’s free online gambling assessment which asks you a series of questions about your gambling behaviour and then provides a personalised report.
The development of a responsible gambling environment online will require cooperation between independent researchers to design, evaluate and verify strategies, operators to enable access to data and implement procedures and regulators to require the use of effective responsible gambling policies. Moreover, treatment and prevention strategies must be revisited to ensure that these are relevant and effective for Internet gamblers. In particular, brief online interventions and in-depth online treatment programmes are needed, and online self-exclusion schemes should be developed that would allow individuals to exclude themselves from multiple sites simultaneously.