Researchers launch world-first benchmarking tool for global gambling regulation
The Global Gambling Control Scorecard is intended to compare how well different countries regulate gambling.
UK.- Researchers at the University of Glasgow have launched what they describe as the world’s first global gambling regulation benchmarking tool. The Global Gambling Control Scorecard (GGCS) is designed to allow regulators, researchers and other actors to compare how well countries regulate gambling and protect players.
The tool was developed by a collective of researchers at the university called Gambling Research Glasgow (GRG) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international partners. The objective was to create an international framework for comparing national regulatory approaches to gambling.
The GGCS currently covers 34 European jurisdictions and uses over 40 indicators. The latter range from traditional regulatory mechanisms, such as licensing, legal status, illegal-gambling prevention, to policies aimed at harm prevention, cross-sector collaboration (including mental health and financial education), harm-monitoring systems and funding for prevention and treatment.
The full dataset and codebook are publicly available, giving stakeholders the opportunity to benchmark national regulatory frameworks, identify gaps, and understand and compare reforms across different nations, the researchers say. The team hopes to expand the scope of the tool globally beyond European jurisdictions with further funding and collaboration.
They believe that by mapping dimensions such as legal status and regulatory regimes, measures to prevent illegal or unlicensed gambling, harm-prevention and multisectoral policies, prevention and treatment availability, regulatory controls, harm-monitoring systems, and funding mechanisms, the scorecard enables a richer understanding of where countries excel, and where regulation remains patchy or outdated.
Heather Wardle, professor of Gambling Research and Policy at the University of Glasgow said: “The Global Gambling Control Scorecard, which compares regulatory policies for gambling across Europe, is a vital tool for anyone interested in how gambling is regulated internationally, and learning about what is happening in other countries.”
Researcher Daria Ukhova added: “Too often, regulatory efforts focus on encouraging “responsible gambling,” placing the burden on individuals. This detracts attention from the systemic issues, such as availability and accessibility of gambling, product design, marketing, and other industry practices that significantly amplify people’s risk of harm.
“A previous global review that we led at GRG found that even when harms are acknowledged in legislation, action often remains narrowly focused on individuals rather than structural safeguards. I hope the Scorecard will help shift the attention to these structural issues, and will prove useful for researchers, regulators, and civil society actors around the world working to prevent gambling harms.”
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