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Gambling comes in many different forms. Commercial gambling includes lotteries, instant lotteries, number games (such as Lotto and Keno), sports betting, horse betting, poker and other card games, casino table games (such as roulette and craps), bingo, and electronic gaming machines (EGMs). All these forms of gambling, which are offered in many varieties, are available either in physical venues or via the Internet.
A distinction is sometimes made between games of chance and games of skill. The distinction is based upon whether practice or variation in strategy will impact the outcome or profitability of the game. This distinction does not take away a substantial chance component to the skill-based forms of gambling (Reber, 2012). Studies also refer to this distinction as strategic (games of skills) and non-strategic (games of chance) forms of gambling (e.g., Grant, Odlaug, Chamberlain, & Schreiber, 2012), and there is evidence from Western countries that males tend to prefer the former type while females tend to prefer the latter (e.g., Gausset & Jansbøl, 2009; Stark, Zahlan, Albanese, & Tepperman, 2012; Svensson, Romild, Nordenmark, & Månsdotter, 2011). Notably, many regular and problem gamblers engage in both types of games, which can necessitate a third group of 'mixed' gamblers in research designs (e.g., Myrseth, Brunborg, Eidem, & Pallesen, 2013).
The various forms of commercial gambling have evolved through a process of technological innovation and product development (supply, structural characteristics) with the aim of making people spend money on gambling (demand, motivations of gamblers). As indicated in Risk Assessment, this process has resulted in some forms of gambling being more closely associated with harm than others.
Specifically, forms of gambling differ with respect to their structural characteristics (Griffiths, 1993). Although many specific characteristics have been identified, there is presently no agreed upon taxonomy. However, they can be organized into some basic categories such as timing parameters (including event frequency), reward parameters (including jackpot size, sensory features, return to player), near-miss characteristics, and opportunities for illusory skill or control. Gambling forms - being commercial services or products offered on the leisure market - also differ with respect to consumer appeal, as each form fulfills different needs or provides different kinds of stimulation across individuals. As such, people have different motivations for participating in gambling.
The potential for harmful gambling arises from the interaction between the structural characteristics of the games on the one hand, and players' motivations on the other hand (cf. Balodis, Thomas, & Moore, 2014; Clarke, 2005; Dow Schüll, 2013; Husain, Wardle, Kenny, Balarajan, & Collins, 2013).
The strength of the evidence for the influence of structural characteristics on harmful gambling is mixed. On the one hand, there is good evidence from experimental research that the major structural characteristics modify gambling behavior (e.g., persistence, bet size), and this research builds upon classic work from psychological learning theory. However, few studies have tested whether problem gamblers are disproportionately sensitive to these features, and thus the relevance to gambling harms is not clear.
With respect to motivations, there is good evidence that most, if not all, of the motivations of recreational gamblers may be intensified or transformed so that they result in harmful gambling (Binde, 2013). Many surveys of the general population that included questions on why people gamble have revealed a range of motives (e.g., Wardle et al., 2011). Some studies also show how different motives and personality characteristics relate to harmful involvement in specific forms of gambling (Balodis et al., 2014; Bonnaire, Bungener, & Varescon, 2006; Francis, Dowling, Jackson, Christensen, & Wardle, 2014; Holtgraves, 2009).