Responsible Gambling: General Principles and Minimal Requirements (original) (raw)

Abstract

Many international jurisdictions have introduced responsible gambling programs. These programs intend to minimize negative consequences of excessive gambling, but vary considerably in their aims, focus, and content. Many responsible gambling programs lack a conceptual framework and, in the absence of empirical data, their components are based only on general considerations and impressions. This paper outlines the consensus viewpoint of an international group of researchers suggesting fundamental responsible gambling principles, roles of key stakeholders, and minimal requirements that stakeholders can use to frame and inform responsible gambling programs across jurisdictions. Such a framework does not purport to offer value statements regarding the legal status of gambling or its expansion. Rather, it proposes gambling-related initiatives aimed at government, industry, and individuals to promote responsible gambling and consumer protection. This paper argues that there is a set of basic principles and minimal requirements that should form the basis for every responsible gambling program.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is the result of a 2 day meeting held in the United States (February 2009) where all the authors (in alphabetical order) participated in a discussion about defining the minimal requirements for a responsible gambling program. The following granting agencies supported the travel and lodging expenses of the participants: Responsible in Gambling Trust (UK), Commission des Lotteries et Paris (Switzerland), Institute for the Study of Commercial Gambling (Macau) and Fond de Soutien aux Professeurs (Université Laval, Canada). The authors did not receive any honorarium for their participation.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
   Alex Blaszczynski
2. Salford Business School, University of Salford, Salford, UK
   Peter Collins
3. Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming, University of Macau, Macau, China
   Davis Fong
4. École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
   Robert Ladouceur
5. Center for Gambling Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
   Lia Nower
6. Division on Addictions, The Cambridge Health Alliance: Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
   Howard J. Shaffer
7. Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
   Hermano Tavares
8. Centre de Référence du jeu excessif, CHU Nantes, Nantes, France
   Jean-Luc Venisse

Authors

1. Alex Blaszczynski
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2. Peter Collins
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3. Davis Fong
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4. Robert Ladouceur
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5. Lia Nower
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6. Howard J. Shaffer
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7. Hermano Tavares
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8. Jean-Luc Venisse
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Correspondence toAlex Blaszczynski.

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Blaszczynski, A., Collins, P., Fong, D. et al. Responsible Gambling: General Principles and Minimal Requirements.J Gambl Stud 27, 565–573 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-010-9214-0

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• Published: 26 February 2011
• Issue Date: December 2011
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-010-9214-0

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