How Cognitive Bias Shapes Gambling Behaviour and Consumer Vulnerability

Background: The rapid expansion of digital gambling platforms significantly amplifies consumer vulnerability and gambling related harm, yet interdisciplinary literature synthe-sizing cognitive distortions, AI driven marketing personalization, and regulatory gover-nance gaps remains limited. Objective: This study aims to synthesize empirical and theo-retical evidence on how cognitive biases shape gambling behavior and consumer vulnera-bility across psychological, technological, socioeconomic, and regulatory dimensions. Methods: A qualitative literature review combining narrative and scoping review designs was conducted, examining 37 eligible studies selected via the PRISMA framework and ana-lyzed using thematic synthesis. Results: The findings demonstrate that cognitive biases, including the illusion of control, overconfidence bias, gambler's fallacy, and heuristic thin-king, interact with AI driven marketing personalization to reinforce persistent high-risk betting. These dynamics disproportionately harm vulnerable populations, culminating in acute psychological distress, severe debt accumulation, and broader socioeconomic insta-bility exacerbated by cross border regulatory deficits. Conclusion: Mitigating digital gam-bling harm requires an integrated framework combining ethical AI governance, transpa-rent marketing standards, public health interventions, and robust regulatory enforcement. Originality/Value: This review article advances scientific knowledge in the fields of beha-vioral economics, consumer psychology, and public health by synthesizing the evolving literature regarding cognitive biases and predictive digital marketing that has remained underexplored. It maps theoretical and methodological gaps while serving as a strategic reference for regulatory bodies and policymakers in formulating responsible gambling frameworks.