The gambling industry has grown into a global business in the 21st century. This has created the need for a new emphasis on problem prevention. This article highlights the core themes of the book Setting Limits: Gambling, Science and Public Policy, taking a broad view of the consequences of gambling for society as a burden on health, well-being and equality. The book covers the extent of gambling and gambling-related problems in different societies and presents a critical review of research on industry practices, policy objectives and preventive approaches, including services to people suffering from gambling and its consequences. It discusses the developments in game characteristics and gambling environments and provides evidence on how regulation can affect those. Effective measures to minimize gambling harm exist and many are well supported by scientific evidence. They include restrictions on general availability as well as selective measures to prevent gamblers from overspending. The revenue generated from gambling for the industry, governments, and providers of public services funded from gambling returns presents an obstacle to developing policies to implement harm-reduction measures. A public interest approach must weigh these interests against the suffering and losses of the victims of gambling.

/pdf/setting-limits-gambling-science-and-public-policy-summary-of-1wdbk7zjl3.pdf

Setting Limits: Gambling, Science and Public Policy—summary of results

About the Gambling Act

A rapidly growing globalized and digitalized gambling industry has compelled European jurisdictions to take action in order to secure some level of gambling market control, to secure public funds from gambling, and to protect citizens from gambling-related harm. This study concerns the market protectionist endeavour to merge three gambling operators into one state-owned monopoly in Finland in 2017. The justification of the systemic change is analysed in key policy documents and media reporting that discerns the political narratives that nudged the monopoly merger from the idea stage to its completion. Within the narratives, the merger is presented as necessary due to the threats of market intrusion by foreign gambling operators and the likelihood of an internal system implosion framed by European Union (EU) law. The worries expressed in the studied materials plug into a general zeitgeist of globalization. The justifications of the systemic change presuppose the inevitable determination of the change and an innate and constant human desire to gamble. Critical views on the merger were introduced in the media at a late stage, stressing the role of the media as a facilitator and manufacturer of political consent. The study demonstrates how market protectionist justifications can, through the maintenance of a regulated gambling market, assure preservation of national public funds obtained from gambling in the EU. The official gambling policy objective of securing public health played a secondary role in the process. Resume La croissance fulgurante de l’industrie du jeu, mondialisee et numerisee, a incite les autorites europeennes a prendre des mesures afin d’assurer un certain controle sur ce marche, de garantir les fonds publics provenant du jeu et de proteger les citoyens des dommages lies au jeu. Cette etude porte sur la tentative protectionniste de la Finlande de fusionner trois exploitants de jeux d’argent en un monopole d’Etat en 2017. On analyse les raisons justifiant le changement systemique dans des documents politiques cles et des reportages dans les medias en mettant en evidence le contenu narratif politique qui a conduit a la fusion du monopole, depuis la naissance de l’idee jusqu’a sa concretisation. Dans ce contenu narratif, la fusion est presentee comme une necessite en raison des menaces d’intrusion par des exploitants de jeux etrangers et la probabilite d’une implosion du systeme interne encadre par le droit de l’UE. Les inquietudes exprimees dans les documents analyses cadrent avec une tendance generalisee a l’egard de la mondialisation. Les fondements qui sous-tendent ce changement systemique presupposent l’inevitabilite du changement et un desir inne et constant de jouer chez l’etre humain. Les points de vue critiques sur la fusion sont presentes tardivement dans les medias, ce qui confirme le role des medias comme facilitateur et createur de consentement politique. L’etude montre que les justifications protectionnistes du marche peuvent, par le maintien d’une reglementation du marche des jeux, garantir l’apport de fonds publics nationaux generes par les jeux de hasard dans l’UE. L’objectif officiel de la politique en matiere de jeu visant a proteger la sante publique a joue un role de second plan dans le processus.

https://jgi.camh.net/index.php/jgi/article/download/4040/4381

National Market Protectionist Gambling Policies in the European Union: The Finnish Gambling Monopoly Merger as a Case in Point

Gambling is a heavily regulated activity, but policies are difficult to enforce in the online context. While governments may attempt to restrict access to licensed providers only, consumers can access offshore sites, creating a potential risk of harm and reducing taxation. This article examines how consumers select Internet gambling sites, and the characteristics of those who use offshore as opposed to domestic sites. Past-month Australian Internet-gamblers (N = 1001, 57.2 percent male) completed an online survey. Participants responded to questions about their online gambling, including use of offshore sites, reasons for site selection, awareness of regulations, preferences for regulated sites, and gambling-related problems. Offshore gamblers (52.7 percent) were a distinct demographic cohort, and were more highly involved in online gambling. Lack of awareness of gambling regulation did not sufficiently explain use of offshore gambling sites; rather, both groups had a relatively low concern for where a site was regulated, choosing sites instead based on ease of use, and cues that they were designed for gamblers in the advertised jurisdiction. Use of offshore gambling sites may be discouraged by focusing on the benefits of domestic sites and ensuring that these can provide a good consumer experience.

/pdf/factors-influencing-internet-gamblers-use-of-offshore-online-17jqw0ewjo.pdf

Factors Influencing Internet Gamblers’ Use of Offshore Online Gambling Sites: Policy Implications

This is the article as published in the journal, due to kind permission of Senate Hall Ltd. www.senatehall.com

Principals, agents and entrepreneurs in white-collar crime: An empirical typology of white-collar criminals

The recent economic crisis has brought into focus how even open and highly interdependent economies in the European Union try to govern their economies according to territorially defined interests. The aim of this article is to examine an area, online gambling, with the technological and legal conditions that challenge approaches that favour economic patriotism. The article compares two cases, the United Kingdom and Italy, that represent two different models of economic governance to argue that they are similar in which interests they seek to protect and at which level.

Kathryn Laffey

Papers

Patriot games: the regulation of online gambling in the European Union

Risky Business: London's Listed Firms and their American Gamble