Online Gambling is a form of gambling that takes place through the use of electronic devices such as personal computers and smartphones. It is a rapidly growing industry that allows individuals to participate in gambling activities at any time of day or night from the comfort of their own home. The popularity of online gambling has increased in recent decades due to its convenience and accessibility.

Although there are many different types of online gambling games, they all share similar characteristics. This includes the use of simulated environments, visual and auditory cues to create an immersive gaming experience, and intermittent reinforcement schedules with surprise rewards to keep gamblers engaged. These features are designed to increase the addictive potential of online gambling.

Despite the increased popularity of online gambling, it remains a risky activity. It can lead to addiction, comorbid mental health disorders, and other behavioral problems. In addition, online gambling can be used as a means to conceal criminal activity such as money laundering. This is because most online casinos allow users to open multiple accounts and transfer funds between them, making it easy for criminals to obfuscate their identities.

Knowledge of the risk factors and protective factors for online gambling is limited. To investigate this, a literature review was conducted using PubMed and PsychInfo academic databases. The search was restricted to articles that were peer-reviewed and published in English. Risk and protective factors were analysed at three levels of analysis: individual, relational, and contextual. Variables at the contextual level were scarcely investigated, except in the university context, where online gamblers tend to be more likely to become problem gamblers.