A pan-European analysis of online responsible gaming measures

Abstract

The European market retains its position as the most extensive online gambling market. Its development and success are strengthened with the cross-border nature of online gambling and how easily accessible the virtual world has become. A simple device with an internet connection has revolutionised how businesses operate, making it easier to communicate with their consumers and each other. The gaming market has also generated significant revenues, leading to considerable societal benefits by stimulating the economy and providing a source of entertainment, however, engagement in the gaming world is certainly not risk-free. For some persons, it may bring about harmful effects such as financial devastation, loss of jobs, family disintegration and even the possibility of developing an addiction. To combat these adverse effects, EU Member States have shifted their efforts to ensure that industry focuses more on consumer protection rather than profit at all costs, an approach which has been termed as responsible gaming. The latter focuses on the prevention of harmful gambling effects by implementing various responsible gaming measures and online tools which consumers can make use of, such as financial limits, timeouts and self-exclusions. However, regulation of online gambling still currently falls within the exclusive competence of each Member State despite efforts of the European Commission to come up with a set of uniform rules which would apply to all Member States. Therefore, this pan-European study will analyse the national laws of some Member States and comment on their methods of implementation of responsible gambling measures whilst also discussing the Union's efforts at harmonising all gambling laws over the years. The aim is to create a study which raises awareness about the importance of collaboration in the prevention of gambling-related harm by depicting the current state of European regulatory fragmentation.