Is Europe really dealing with formal duty of care and playing limits?

Gambling-related harms should be a great concern to authorities and addressed through effective prevention policies. The Dutch Gambling Authority (Kansspel Autoriteit) commissioned a study on Gambling Legislation, duty of care and limit setting in 22 European countries between January and May 2022. The report provides insightful data on policies and the situation concerning duty of care and setting monetary limits throughout Europe.

One click away from the escape

As gambling has entered the private sphere of players, there is no limit in terms of accessibility to the game. In their living room, during family and friends gathering, in the bedroom, players are one click away from placing a bet. Gambling sites are open around the clock. But many are facing devastating gambling related harm.

How can we make things better and safer:

1.       Player Protection as a top priority on the regulator’s agenda

Out of the 22 countries surveyed, only 11 had a formal duty of care. Even if some operators have policies in place, it would be beneficial that regulators or authorities set the right framework so that the industry itself is forced into becoming safer for players. Countries should make it a top priority as gambling harm are linked to other social issues with direct impact on the countries’ economy such as increasing health costs, unemployment rate and legal cases. Creating a safer environment will benefit the society as a whole.

2.       Collaboration between authorities

As recommended in the report, a mutual consultation and collaboration will help the countries to come up with appropriate solutions for their market. Each country can bring their expertise to the table, ensuring that the problems are addressed from different angles and eliminate blind spots when they tackle the challenge of gambling harm.

Learn more from the report here.