What is Online Gambling?
Online Gambling is a form of gambling that is conducted through the Internet. It is popular among young people and can lead to problems such as disrupted relationships, debts, poor school performance and depression. It can also be addictive. Unlike land-based casinos, online gambling can be done in private and from anywhere, as long as the person has a computer or mobile phone with an internet connection. There are many types of online gambling games, including slot machines.
The popularity of online gambling is partly due to its ease of access and anonymity. A number of studies have compared online gamblers with offline nonproblematic gamblers, and found that they tend to be more risky in terms of gambling expenditure and problem gambling behaviour. These findings are in agreement with earlier studies that found that the choice of gambling modality is influenced by social factors. Among these, low quality and quantity of relationships seems to play an important role in determining the likelihood of choosing the online mode.
Moreover, some studies have reported that online gambling is more addictive than offline gambling. One of the reasons may be that online gambling sites bombard users with free credit offers, which can be very tempting to continue playing once these offers are used up. Another reason may be that online gambling is easier to hide, since a gambler can play from the comfort of his or her home and without being detected by friends and family members. Finally, some studies have shown that online gamblers have smaller volumes in the amygdala and hippocampus, which are involved in emotional learning and stress regulation.