This is a guest article authored by:

• Simo Dragicevic, The Game Safety Institute
• Sarah Ramanauskas, The Game Safety Institute
• Dr. Sally Gainsbury, University of Sydney

Read the full paper here

A current state assessment and template roadmap for building a more robust evidence base

The Game Safety Institute and Dr. Sally Gainsbury have partnered to investigate what needs to be done to better understand why and how gambling products may contribute to the risk of harms.

The modern gambling industry is fast-paced, diverse, and commercially driven, making it increasingly difficult for global regulators to ensure that their work is truly protecting players. Our discussion paper has identified the following important concerns which need to be addressed through an enhanced programme of research and investigation.

Key Product Technology Enabling Trends

Continuous innovation in gambling products running ahead of regulation

There is an ever-expanding range of digital experiences, including increasingly personalised AI-driven content together with gamified and immersive digital products. Little is known about the ways in which such innovations may add to the risk of harms, or how they should best be regulated alongside other forms of consumer protection in the online space.

Shifts in consumer behaviour contributing to increasing immersion

Consumers generally are spending increasing amounts of time online, supporting the evolution of products: many digital social, interaction and community features are being integrated into the gambling experience without an appropriate protective framework.

Blurring of lines between product types, increasing regulatory challenges

The structural distinctions between gambling product verticals such as betting and slots, usually used as the underpinning of a regulatory regime, are becoming less pronounced, driven by continuous innovation by the gambling industry.

Lack of robust research to underpin best practice regulatory advances

A review of the last decade’s research into gambling product characteristics, included in the discussion paper, focused on product characteristics, identified only 23 robust papers in English, predominantly in sports and slots, with only three of these studies using real-world player data to support their conclusions.

We are proposing a multi-year research programme which will assess gambling product characteristics and risks in a more systematic and robust manner. To support the priorities listed here, there will need to be work to agree definitions and establish a trusted research environment of player data and product metadata.

Proposed Research Approach

The highest priority research areas are;

• Online sports betting and slots, as existing research indicates that they are the most likely to cause harm, and continue to be an area of growth in the market
• Land-based slots on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) are also prioritised due to consistent concerns highlighted in research about their potential contributions to harm, alongside their increasing digitisation and enhanced visuals.

We recommend further research into the characteristics of casino games (both land-based and online ‘live’ versions) to understand how the specific product features of these games, and how they are marketed and consumed, may promote risky behaviours amongst users.

Lottery products are the largest gambling vertical, so there will be significant value in systematically gathering and describing consumer behaviour, especially as research consistently suggests engagement in multiple forms of gambling contributes to harms.

There is a necessity to better understand the impact of emerging digital products and experiences, including arcade-style games and the impact of engagement features. We recommend gaining a more detailed understanding of the products and practices emerging in the unlicensed market too, including those available on crypto casinos.

We encourage the regulatory community to read the paper and consider how they can use the template roadmap to inform regulatory discourse and action in jurisdictions globally to improve the evidence base around product risk and to modernise regulations to create safer yet still enjoyable gambling experiences for all consumers.