Which online gambling activities are most linked to problem gambling?

What is it about?

Online gambling is growing rapidly worldwide, yet relatively little research had examined whether specific types of online gambling activity carry different levels of risk for problem gambling. This exploratory study surveyed an international sample of online gamblers to examine their participation across a range of online gambling activities, including casino games, poker, sports betting and bingo, and investigated how participation in different activity types related to problem gambling scores. The study used the Problem Gambling Severity Index to measure gambling harm and analysed the patterns of activity engagement alongside demographic and behavioural factors. The findings shed light on which online gambling formats are most strongly associated with problem gambling, with implications for how harm in online gambling environments is understood and targeted.

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Why is it important?

Online gambling poses distinct risks compared to land-based gambling, including 24-hour access, the ability to gamble across multiple platforms simultaneously, and the ease of moving between game types. At the time of publication, the evidence base on online gambling and problem gambling was still limited and largely focused on overall internet gambling behaviour rather than specific activity types. Identifying which activities carry heightened risk is essential for designing effective harm reduction measures, regulatory interventions and responsible gambling tools that are targeted to the most harmful formats. The study contributed to an early wave of empirical research on online gambling that has since expanded considerably as the sector has grown, and it sits within a broader programme of work examining behavioural addictions, online behaviour and the components model of addiction.