Online Gambling is a popular activity for millions of individuals who enjoy casino games, sports betting, poker, fantasy sports, and lotteries. It is an estimated $9.5 billion industry as of 2021. While online gambling provides fun and excitement, it can also have serious consequences if not handled responsibly. These dangers include a lack of face-to-face accountability, the potential for significant financial losses due to impulsive and uninhibited betting, and a false sense of security that may lead to chasing losses and other negative financial impacts.
In the United States, the legality of online gambling varies by state. Some have banned it, while others license operators to offer services and accept wagers. The US Department of Justice has indicated that it considers Internet gambling to be a violation of the Wire Act, which prohibits telephone betting, but this has not been fully clarified by the courts. As a result, many online gambling sites do not operate in the United States, but rather in countries such as Antigua and Barbuda or other jurisdictions that have passed laws allowing them to do so.
A key part of treatment for gambling disorder is psychotherapy, which is performed in individual or group sessions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for gambling addiction, incorporating social skills training and problem-solving skills and helping patients understand the root causes of their behavior. Another type of treatment is motivational interviewing (MI), which helps patients work through ambivalence to commit to change.