Responsible gambling and consumer protection

Taivo Põrk29.09.2015

• No agreed definition for “responsible gambling” exists;

• The same is true for “problem gambling”;

• Gambling Disorder (GD; DSM-5) is defined as “persistent gambling behaviour leading to clinically significant impairment or distress” and diagnosed clinically (9 criteria) and may be classified as mild, moderate or severe.

• All operators, both public and private, need to deal with a conflict of interest between seeking profit and protecting gamblers from harm. Applies to regulators too, to an extent;

• Recreational activity vs social health problem;

• Individual freedom vs social control

Goals of “responsible” gambling policy• Prevention of criminal gambling

business • (e.g. fraud);• Prevention of underage gambling and

underage exposure;• Prevention of gambling disorders;• Protection of subjects with gambling

disorders;• Prevention of severe financial losses?

Proportion of use disorders among users

• Stages of gambling: risky use -> harmful use -> either reduction/cessation or chronic relapses.

• Transition to risky gambling: caused mainly by environmental determinants (access, advertising, peer relations)

• Transition to harmful gambling: caused mainly by individual vulnerability determinants (neurobiology, cognitive control)

• Role of gambling determinants unclear, likely relevant in interaction with individual vulnerability determinants

Estonia- Population: ~1.3 million;

- 16 licensed gambling operators (13 licenses for games of chance, 7 for betting, 1 for skill games, 1 for lottery);

- ~60 gaming locations (casinos, arcades), ~2200 slot machines

- (down from ~170/5000+ in 2007);

- In 2014, 59% of population between 15-74 reported having been at least occasionally engaged in gambling. 15% said they have gambled online. “Within last 2 years”, 48% and 12% respectively,

- Addiction risk group is 3,6%. 0,7% are probably pathological gamblers.

7

Regulations

(1) Marketing • Clear "no underage gambling" message;• No youth-related contents, motivations, images

and campaigns;• Ban in youth related locations, publications and

websites

•Objective information: chances for winning and losses, risks, possible negative consequences, support options;•No unrealistic promises for winnings or

as alternative to earned income;•No images, messages and campaigns

associating gambling with social prestige, personal success or attractiveness;•Transparent sponsor information

(2) Casino distance/spread/availabilty regulations

• Licensing;• Blocking illegal websites/transactions

(3) Player identification and verification, age controls

(4) Gambling-related• Information on gambling procedures,

stakes, changes for winnings and losses, regular visual feedback on play statistics;

• Options of self-imposing deposit limits, stop-loss limits;

• Self-exclusion;• No credits;• Forced random breaks?(5) Staff training (risks, indicators,

intervention)

ResponsibilitiesRegulatory authority

• To define and control protection measures• To monitor core gambling parameters (stakes, wins, losses,

complaints, self- and provider-based exclusion, hotlines, treatment, prevalence figures)

• To test gambling and marketing regulations Operators

• To implement protection measures• To provide statistical figures and gambling related facts

Consumer• To be “Informed Consumers” (procedures, risks, help lines,

treatment opportunities)

Credits• Heavily relied on presentation by Dr

Gerhard Bühringen “Prevention of Gambling Disorders: Implications for Consumer Protection from ALICE RAP” on 18.09.2015 at 12th EGGS meeting

Thank you for your attention!