Gambling is when people risk money or something of value, such as a lottery ticket, on an activity that involves chance. This could be at a casino or racing track, at a gas station or church hall, at a sporting event or on the Internet.
Online gambling: A type of gaming where you place bets via a computer, tablet or smartphone using the internet. There are a number of websites where you can play online, such as Betfair or Paddy Power.
The backbone of online gambling is web-based platforms, called casinos, which offer a variety of games and betting options. You need a computer, mobile phone or tablet with internet access and some money to start playing.
Harm minimisation: The harms of gambling are well established. There are negative impacts associated with gambling, such as depression and stress, and greater and more severe harms when you gamble frequently or with more money.
There are three main categories of gambling related harm: diagnostic criteria, behavioural symptoms and experiences of negative consequences.
Diagnostic criteria (such as those used by mental health professionals) can help to identify people with problem gambling, although they are not necessarily a reliable measure of gambling harm.
Behavioural symptoms are also useful as they can provide a proxy measure of harm, but they are not necessarily stable or precise.
Experiences of negative consequences are the most accurate approximation to gambling harm, but they have limitations. They are prone to being overly simplistic and not necessarily consistent across surveys.