Global Gambling Legislation Needs Adjustments, Study Suggests

Protection of customers from excessive gambling either via retail or online gambling operators is currently in the hands of lawmakers in each country. Across Europe, Asia, North and South America, gambling regulations can vary greatly, with some markets ensuring robust player protection and others offering more lax rules. Over the last few years, online gambling and mobile betting have expanded exponentially, attracting more users than ever before. The convenience of access through mobile devices continues to raise concerns about gambling harm and excessive gambling.

Now, the results of a new study call for robust protection from excessive gambling along with prevention. The new study by The Lancet Public Health journal urged governments across the globe to recognize the harm associated with gambling and implement robust changes to the regulation, ensuring effective protection for consumers.

The white paper explains that more than 80% of the countries across the globe offer some form of legal gambling. The study probed the legislative changes completed by lawmakers in the period between 2018 and 2021, analyzing a sample of 33 jurisdictions. Ultimately, the study sought to “assess the extent to which the protection of health and wellbeing was embedded within legislation.”

“The public health community has called for governments to recognize the harms associated with gambling, and for gambling policies to include population-based harm prevention approaches,“

reads the new study released by The Lancet

Robust Regulations to Protect the Consumers

According to the white paper, most of the jurisdictions recognized harmful gambling as a health and well-being issue. Moreover, the study described that in a majority of the jurisdictions, a “focus was given to individual-level harms rather than to wider social and economic harms or harms to others.”

Additionally, it found that prevention primarily focused on individual responsibility. When it comes to gambling regulation, the study found that policies around the globe are changing. Yet, it also found that to address gambling as a public health issue, robust policies are needed.

“Gambling policies worldwide are changing, but addressing gambling as a public health issue is not yet translating into comprehensive policy action across jurisdictions,“

explains the new study

The findings of the new study echo a call by the UK Gambling Commission’s chief executive, Tim Miller, who recently spoke about the importance of effective cooperation between gambling regulators on an international level. Earlier this month, he supported the idea of regulators collaborating to ensure users can enjoy safe, secure and responsible gambling services.