Online Gambling – Relational and Contextual Factors That Influence a Person’s Tendency to Gamble

The online gambling industry is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. It has gained immense popularity due to its convenience and accessibility. Nonetheless, this industry is not without its risks. It is prone to fraudulent activities and can be extremely addictive. Moreover, the fact that it is accessible to underage users poses an ethical issue for the society. Therefore, there is a need for stringent policies to prevent underage users from gambling online.

Gambling has a long history, beginning in 2300 BC with rudimentary betting games using tiles. Since then, it has evolved as a fascinating interplay of technology and human instinct. Today, it is a global industry that is constantly evolving with the rapid development of the Internet and the changing social norms.

A few studies investigated the relational and contextual factors that may influence a person’s tendency to gamble. A few articles suggest that a person’s sex, as well as the life context to which they belong, can influence their tendency to gamble. For instance, Gainsbury et al. found that women gamble more frequently than men, and are at a higher risk of developing pathological gambling.

Moreover, they also reported that female online gamblers tend to chase losses, and are more likely to have higher expenditures than nonproblematic online gamblers. Additionally, a few articles indicate that having rare and negative relationships may increase the likelihood of an individual gambling. Also, academic problems appear to be a risk factor for gambling in university students.