The Better Gambling Forum Announces Strategic Leaders and Framework for Global Player Protection

These results indicate that social casino games are a salient aspect of young adult online gamblers’ experiences. Not surprisingly, the young adult online gamblers mentioned the constant advertisements as a potential factor that may lead social casino gamers to online gambling. Specifically, the frequent nature of the advertisements that provided social media users with an opportunity was brought up by several focus group members, with few young adult online gamblers mentioned the role of advertisement in the transition to online gambling. Social practice theory research could also develop increased understanding of how social structures, and power and agency influence gambling. Such work would consider issues such as how do the dynamics between people and their social environment shape gambling practices. Existing gambling research has suggested that social group dynamics can have a major influence on gambling practices with power hierarchies among friendship groups shaping expectations on how to bet, how much to bet, and even how to spend winnings 20.

Global Gaming Guidance Group (G – Industry-Certified Responsible Gambling Accreditation

It should be noted that some social casino games are now owned by online gambling operators who advertise their online gambling site within the social casino game, thus easing migration from social casino gaming to online gambling (Schneider 2012). Cognitive neuroscience has also been suggested as a way to look at social practices and specifically how mental activities such as emotion and cognition influence their performance, or even how the eyes are used and where they focus during events 88. Cognitive neuroscience methods can provide useful insights into how external stimulus such as people, events, materials, and time affects people’s information processing and decision-making in the brain 89. Such interdisciplinary research between social scientists and neuroscientists is being carried out in other areas such as energy conservation behaviours 89. The concept of embodiment focuses on understanding the relationship between the body, mind, cognition, and social practices 76. It is argued that understanding what the body is doing when people perform social practices such as eating, washing, or in the case of this article gambling, can offer deeper insights about the performance of social practices 76.

To help set out a research agenda, we consider some key research questions, topics and contexts, constructs of interest, and methodologies for conducting social practice research on gambling to help inform harm reduction strategies. Furthermore, power which refers to the ability to influence or control the behaviour of people, and agency which refers to capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own free choices, are important elements of practice. For example, a person who has previously engaged in problem gambling may be tempted to place a bet on the Melbourne Cup and encouraged by a peer who is a dominant individual holding power and influence in a social group. However, that person may employ their human agency to resist this temptation and decide to not place a bet.

Province not banning sports betting advertising

While every effort was made to recruit an equal number of male and female online gamblers we were unable to do so despite our best efforts. Moreover, seven individuals who had initially agreed to participate in the study subsequently notified the research team before the group meeting that they could not participate for logistical reasons (i.e., work and school commitments, unexpected appointments). Participants in the first group were compensated $20 for their time and those in the remaining two groups were provided with $40 (the increased compensation was used as an incentive to attract a greater number of participants and was cleared by the authors’ Research Ethics Board). Additionally, participants were provided food and beverages throughout the course of the discussions that ensued.

Currently, little is known about how the spatiality of mobile phone sports betting influences gambling practices and gambling-related harms. Specific research questions that may be considered here include, does the ability to bet virtually anywhere led to increased risk and harms to gamblers, families, and the community (see 20). Or, research could ask—how does gambling occur in certain spaces and not others, and why (see 80). Social casino games are popular among adolescents and young adults and may influence the transition to online gambling. Yet, researchers have paid little attention to potential processes or mechanisms that influences the transition to online gambling amongst this cohort, including the role played by social casino games.

Every three months, the licensed casino business operator must report to the Commission on the status of the casino operation and the casino facility. In addition, whenever it finds any unlawful activity or material breach of laws and regulations, it must report it to the Commission without delay. The economic ripple effects of legalized sports betting extend further into the realm of sponsorships, advertising, and partnerships. As the industry grows, it attracts investments from major players, including sports teams and media outlets. This growth not only infuses valuable capital into the underlying sports industry but also strengthens ties between various sectors of the economy6. Second, certain objects or a specific practice can thread through a nexus of practices—for example caring for children may frame how various practices like cooking, cleaning, and washing may occur in a family household.

There are no residency or nationality requirements to become an owner of an IR/casino business operator, but any person who wishes to own 5% or more of the voting rights, shares or interests in an IR/casino business operator needs to obtain the permission of the Commission. ICAP accreditation inspires confidence in the sustainability of your platform among staff, shareholders and regulators. In New Jersey, a pioneer in the legal sports betting market, thousands of jobs were generated within the first year of legalization5. This trend has been consistent across states that have embraced regulated sports betting, and it is poised to continue as the industry expands. While the expansion of the legal sports betting industry is a significant boon to the industry, this upswing in growth also brings about substantial benefits to consumers and communities at large. The proliferation of legal sports betting across the United States makes a compelling case for how its legalization contributes positively to the well-being of both bettors and society.

We call for a practice theory approach to gambling research that joins efforts to move beyond individual gamblers and their behaviour, to also acknowledge the interaction of multiple elements shaping gambling practices. Sports betting is a favourite form of gambling observed in Southern Africa 4, 37•, 38, 67, 68. This reflects Bunn et al.’s observation that the spread of sports gambling to Southern African countries follows a neo-colonial logic whereby English sporting products like Premier League football are pushed to English-speaking markets 37•. First, we did not recruit a sufficient number of female online gamblers to ascertain different trends and cognitions that may be gender-specific. That said, studies have consistently found that online gamblers tend to be young males (Griffiths et al. 2009; for a review see Gainsbury 2015). Secondly, the findings of the current project are not intended to be reflective of the college population as a whole.

Indeed, one of the concerns of social casino games is that although they purport to have age verifications, a UK study found that 300,000 youths aged 11–16 reported having engaged in free online gambling games in the past week (Parke et al. 2013). Furthermore, it is plausible that if social casino games lead to the development of problem gambling, it does through Pathway 1, the behaviourally conditioned gambler. This pathway includes cognitive mechanisms such as irrational beliefs and illusion of control, which may manifest due to the inflated payout rates on social casino games. As sports betting finds its legal footing across the nation, the industry’s evolution is marked by a deep commitment to responsible gaming and player protection.

• Beyond these important nuances, the extant research illustrates prevalence rates and gambling patterns among specific demographics including young people, defined by the African Youth Charter as aged between 15 and 35, in three geographical regions (Eastern, Western and Southern Africa).
• The European Committee for Standardization has been instrumental in promoting responsible gambling across Europe.
• While its primary role is lobbying for fair and harmonised EU-wide regulations, the EGBA also significantly contributes to shaping industry-led responsible gambling initiatives.
• Bringing together industry leaders, regulators, researchers, and public health experts, the RGC prioritises evidence-based solutions that go beyond box-ticking exercises.
• Licensed operators often invest in sophisticated software and data analysis tools to detect patterns of problematic gambling behavior.

I love sports, and I support tech and business innovation, but this issue is about far more than fandom or profits. We can’t allow online sports betting companies to operate without rules or consequences when the stakes are so high. As online sports betting becomes more accessible and socially acceptable, especially among younger fans, we can expect these problems to intensify unless we take decisive action now. The sports betting market in the U.S. generated $1 billion in revenue in 2020, and that number is projected to grow sixfold by 2023. If betting becomes legalized in all 50 states, estimated revenues will exceed $19 billion a year.

Moreover, in democratic societies, principles such as those of EG should guide authorities to regulate gambling in a way that promotes healthy habits and prevents gambling disorder. With regards to responsible gambling, and specifically – player protection – the keywords should be personalization and early prevention. By personalizing messages to reflect, for example, how much a player has spent and is issued with frequent reminders, casinos may gently prod and encourage players to remain within reasonable amounts of spending.

Peter Jackson, CEO of Flutter, the parent company of FanDuel, said responsible gaming comes down to good business. Yet, he warns that as legal operators come together to improve responsible gambling, the illegal marketplace will always be willing to take wagers from pinup casino problem gamblers. Operators like OLG implement responsible gambling policies, including self-exclusion programs and staff training. By analysing real-time betting patterns across regulated markets, IBIA flags unusual activity that may indicate problem gambling behaviours, allowing operators to intervene. The association collaborates with regulators, sports leagues, and enforcement agencies to ensure that betting remains safe, transparent, and accountable. While responsible gambling isn’t eCOGRA’s sole focus, it remains a prominent element within its broader commitment to compliance and player protection.

Mancala games are conventionally played between two people on wooden board, or a ‘board’ improvised or carved into the ground, and involve moving a series of small beads, beans or stones between cups in a strategic way to capture an opponent’s pieces. Bets placed on the outcome of the game are sometimes high-stakes and include cattle and daughters (i.e. waiving bride price), although the game is also played socially, without stakes. As with Abbia, then, Mancala games have been and are woven into complex relationships of social exchange. The gambling industry in Africa has seen substantial growth and evolution over recent years with a growing body of literature describing these shifts. Here, we provide a narrative synthesis of the extant literature on the origins, trends and consequences of the expansion and intensification of the commercial gambling industry in sub-Saharan Africa with a reference for future research on gambling as a growing public health concern.

With that said, Hollingshead et al. (2016) argued that the motivations for playing social casino games likely mimic those of online gambling, including for excitement, to relieve boredom, and social motivations. In addition, they reported that some social casino gamers are motivated to engage in these games to hone their skills before playing for real money on online gambling sites. In line with Hollingshead et al. (2016) and King and Delfabbro (2016) proposed a framework for understanding factors that may increase or decrease the link between social casino gaming and online gambling among adolescents.

One reason for their popularity may be their ubiquity on social network sites like Facebook, which provide ample opportunities to play social casino games via embedded apps (Gainsbury et al. 2014). Moreover, social casino games are among the most heavily advertised products on social network sites and convey the activity (i.e., gambling) as positive and glamorous (Gainsbury et al. 2015a). These advertisements appear to have a significant influence on engagement with social casino games (SuperData 2016).

Each state with legal, regulated sports betting has its own approach to funding critical programs with its newfound tax revenue. Nevada’s gaming revenue supports public education, local governments, and problem gambling resources. New York’s revenue funds sports programs for underserved youths, problem gambling education and treatment, and education aid. Since the legalization of sports betting in Indiana, the state has witnessed annual tax revenues exceeding $40 million8, which supported public infrastructure and education. Carrying out a practice also normally requires the use of materials—any objects or things that are needed to perform them. These materials are an element that serve as indispensable resources needed to perform any given social practice 47.