Online Gambling is a popular activity that offers players the chance to place bets on a variety of sporting events and casino games. It is estimated that the industry generates over $9.5 billion in revenue each year. However, gambling can be very addictive, and for many people, it can have a negative impact on their lives. The American Psychiatric Association includes gambling disorder in its class of mental health disorders, alongside problems such as alcohol and drug use.

There are a number of risks associated with gambling, including addiction and social isolation. The online version of gambling is a lot more convenient than visiting a physical establishment and has been very appealing to many consumers. In addition, there are a variety of features that can help players limit their playing time. For example, some sites offer a time-out feature that allows players to lock themselves out of their account for a predetermined period of time. This can be helpful for people who tend to lose their money quickly when gambling.

There are a few studies that have explored the risk factors of online gambling, with most findings being relatively similar. One interesting finding is that the first gambling experience of online gamblers seems to occur at a younger age compared with offline gamblers (Wu et al., 2015). In terms of personality traits, most papers show that high impulsivity is significantly associated with online problematic gambling. Several articles also report that chasing losses is more common among online at-risk gamblers.