Impact of online gambling regulation on gambling behaviour

Session Title

Regulation: Behavioral Impacts & Market Outcomes

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Start Date

27-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

In this study more than 800,000 players from the US, Ontario (Canada), UK, Germany, Netherlands and Spain are compared with respect to their monetary spending. These countries online gambling regulation is different with respect to several crucial aspects. Germany and Spain for example introduced maximum spend limits whereas the US regulation is the most liberal compared to the other countries. Players spendings are significantly different across the six countries. US players spend the most. wheras Germany and the Netherlands lead to the least money spend. The analysis also showed that online casino operators revenue relies on a small group of highly involved players. This reliance on a few high spenders is more extreme in less strictly regulated countries such as the US and Ontario.

Author Bios

Dr. Michael Auer is a leading researcher and industry expert in responsible gambling, behavioral analytics, and player protection. He is the founder of Neccton, now part of OpenBet, where he developed AI-driven tools that help gambling operators identify risky gambling behavior and promote safer play. Dr. Auer holds a PhD in Psychology and has published numerous peer-reviewed studies on gambling behavior, player tracking, and responsible gaming interventions. He regularly collaborates with regulators, operators, and academic institutions worldwide and is recognized as one of the foremost voices in data-driven responsible gambling research.

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May 27th, 12:00 AM

Impact of online gambling regulation on gambling behaviour

In this study more than 800,000 players from the US, Ontario (Canada), UK, Germany, Netherlands and Spain are compared with respect to their monetary spending. These countries online gambling regulation is different with respect to several crucial aspects. Germany and Spain for example introduced maximum spend limits whereas the US regulation is the most liberal compared to the other countries. Players spendings are significantly different across the six countries. US players spend the most. wheras Germany and the Netherlands lead to the least money spend. The analysis also showed that online casino operators revenue relies on a small group of highly involved players. This reliance on a few high spenders is more extreme in less strictly regulated countries such as the US and Ontario.