Notes from the Editor

Abstract

Gaming Law ReviewVol. 27, No. 4 Notes from the EditorFree AccessNotes from the EditorSteve RuddockSteve RuddockSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:15 May 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/glr2.2023.29077.editorialAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail With the release of the UK White Paper and the ongoing debate over sports betting advertisements in the U.S., the remainder of 2023 will likely be spent discussing responsible gambling policies. That should be a positive development, but considering the current debates raging, I fear the end result is an industry no closer to making a dent in problem gambling than it is today.So far as I can tell, the plan is to throw more money at the problem and rush through untested policies being hatched in a problem gambling bubble. Many of the ideas being peddled merely nibble around the edges and feel more like semantic arguments than actual solutions. If we look ahead ten years, will prohibiting “risk-free” or “can't lose” verbiage be a difference-maker? Will sterilizing how we talk about the subject—a “person experiencing gambling disorder” instead of a “problem gambler”—change the percentage or severity of gambling addiction? Is unsolicited outreach a beneficial policy?If these were headlines, applying Betteridge's Law seems appropriate.Increased funding and awareness are long overdue, but consumers deserve more than new academic terms, checking boxes, and knee-jerk policy decisions with the potential for severe, long-lasting implications that can be difficult to reverse.The recent successes on the responsible and problem gambling fronts read like a wish list from 1997. While the increases in research and available data are good, I often wonder if anyone truly understands what the data is saying, or even more worrisome, if it is saying anything at all.This is a topic I hope to discuss in upcoming issues.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 27Issue 4May 2023 InformationCopyright 2023, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Steve Ruddock.Notes from the Editor.Gaming Law Review.May 2023.163-163.http://doi.org/10.1089/glr2.2023.29077.editorialPublished in Volume: 27 Issue 4: May 15, 2023PDF download