In many cases, online gaming sites are a security risk which can make your computer susceptible to a smörgåsbord of malware infections, remote attacks, exposure of personal information, and identity theft. [/B]They can lead to other sites containing malware which you can inadvertently download without knowledge. Users visiting such sites may see innocuous-looking banner ads containing code which can trigger pop-up ads and malicious Flash ads that install viruses, Trojans and spyware. Ads are a target for hackers because they offer a stealthy way to distribute malware to a wide range of Internet users. Gaming sites can put you at risk to fraud, phishing and theft of personal data. Even if the gaming site is a clean site, there is always the potential of some type of malware making its way there and then onto your system. In some instances an infection may have caused so much damage to your system that it cannot be successfully cleaned or repaired. In those cases, recovery is not possible and the only option is to reformat/reinstall the OS.