RESPONSIBLE GAMING
There is also the possibility that legislating against such gambling features may help with the aforementioned ‘base rate’ of problem gamblers, by prohibiting the most enticing elements of the games. It is not just the stylistic representation of the game that can entice gamblers to play more, but how representative a game is of a player’s chances of winning. In other words, the fairness of how a game is presented also plays a part in the field of responsible gaming. Regulations that make sure that a game does not entice players with statements such as ‘near miss’ in a completely random game or a misrepresentation of chances such as weighted wheels are used so players are not enticed to gamble thinking that their chances of winning are more than they are. A Gambling Harm Fund Despite no evidence that gambling related harm is increasing, it is clear that for some people, gambling causes problems. Even if a substantial body of evidence could be gathered to show that legalization, regulation and new inventive forms of gambling do not cause an increase in gambling related harm, there will always be a ‘base rate’ of the population who suffer gambling problems. One of the opportunities in adequately regulating the gambling industry is the opportunity to use some of the tax revenue generated to help those who it adversely impacts the most. No matter how much regulation is imposed, the most serious gambling addicts will just look for another opportunity to get their fix. Financing organizations that help treat the psychological forces that drive addiction and even providing, as some jurisdictions require, direct ‘in game’ links to these organizations is perhaps one of the least intrusive and proven ways in which a government can minimize gambling harm. By directing a percentage of tax revenues derived from gambling towards mental health and addiction organizations, government officials can help the most severely affected whilst allowing those who can control their gambling impulses to enjoy an exciting gambling experience. Advertising There is some evidence to suggest that problem gamblers, particularly men, begin to develop symptoms of their compulsion as children or young adults. This has led to advertising being high on the gambling regulation advocates in countries such as the United Kingdom and Spain.
As with much surrounding this subject, the scientific evidence on gambling advertising and its connection to the prevalence of gambling problems is not particularly robust, however, this has not prevented heavy scrutiny of the advertising industry and media coverage relaying concerns about exposure of advertising to children for example, professional football games. Finding the balance Perhaps the most obvious danger to the gambling industry is over-regulation. Over-regulating an industry to the point of making a product unavailable, either by making it explicitly illegal or by stifling the market to the point it becomes economically unviable, does not stop the problem of addiction. The measures taken against ‘fixed odds betting terminals’ (FOBTs) in the United Kingdom are a good example of this. Paternalist lobbyists and negative media coverage led to a campaign against what was described as the ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling, FOBTs. Opponents of increased regulation pointed out that there was little, if any evidence that such machines increased problem gambling at a time when gambling revenue and rates of problem gambling remained steady. Their voices went unheard and FOBTs were legislated out of existence but rates of problem gambling went unchanged. Addicts or even those with moderate symptoms of developing an addiction do not stop when one avenue closes. They simply look for a new source to feed their addiction. Over-regulating the land-based gambling market pushes addicts to underground betting shops or onto online gambling. Over-regulating the online market pushes addicts onto the online black market where the challenge of protecting consumers becomes much more difficult. Addicts will find a way to get what they want on the black market. Revenue from gambling will simply disappear from the regulated books, where it could have been used to help treat addicts, and into the pockets of unregulated, offshore entities. In prohibition America, alcohol was freely available, pushed by legislators into the domain of violent criminal gangs. The drug addict will get his drugs despite hefty penalties for possession even from behind the iron bars of a highly secure prison. Evidence as to the effect of responsible gaming measures is lacking. As with the introduction of any legislation, even with the very best intentions, what can seem a common sense measure may cause unforeseen harm, whether it be by pushing vulnerable addicts into the arms of criminal gangs and more addictive forms of gambling, or in the loss of jobs in the gambling
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IMGL MAGAZINE | APRIL 2023
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