The media outlet Sekrt Firmy reported that Artem Metelev, the Chairman of the State Duma’s Youth Policy Committee, says lawmakers will debate the bill before the end of 2025.

Metelev said that Russian bookmakers should hand over a “percentage of their income” to help pay for “the prevention of gambling addiction.”

Russian Bookmakers Could Face New Tax Laws

The proposal, if accepted as-is, would place the Unified Gambling Regulator (ERAI) in charge of collecting the tax.

Lawmakers want to use the funds raised to pay for anti-gambling advertisement campaigns on popular social media platforms.

It also aims to fund the development of novel gambling treatment methods and training for healthcare professionals.

The new proposal also contains clauses on new, stricter punishments for illegal online casino promoters.

The committee wants to hike maximum fines for promoting gambling from their existing cap of 2,000 rubles ($25) to 7 million rubles ($88,049).

Under the proposals, courts will have the power to identify “systematic violators.” Such repeat offenders will be subject to criminal liability.

Gambling Addiction Worsening, Lawmaker Claims

Metelev claims that about 3 million people in Russia currently suffer from gambling addiction-related conditions.

He added that lawmakers have identified several high-risk groups, including young people, who, the lawmakers say, “lose billions of rubles on online betting sites and illegal casino platforms.”

Metelev explained that addiction often leads to tragic consequences, including death.

The committee also wants the Ministry of Health to develop an improved system for gambling prevention and treatment.

Lawmakers want the ERAI to coordinate anti-addiction work efforts with permit-holding bookmakers.

The ERAI regulates Russia’s five legal casinos in all four of its special gambling zones. It is also the only body in the country with the right to issue operating permits.

The Central Bank and the country’s top anti-money laundering agency, meanwhile, have begun a crackdown on cash and card mules and shell companies.

Illegal online casino operators use these mules and firms (known as “droppers” in Russia) to launder funds. The bank thinks that operators typically target teenagers and people in their early 20s in their search for new mules.

Earlier this month, a high-profile far-right vigilante group claimed to have helped police and other law enforcement agencies shut down an underground Siberian casino that catered to migrants.

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Today, 39 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized sports betting, and nearly one in four adults has a sports betting account. That number jumps to roughly half of all men aged 18 to 49. In 2024, US adults wagered approximately $150 billion on sports.

Sports betting’s rise in popularity has generated substantial tax revenue, but it has also fueled a sharp increase in gambling addiction and problem gambling symptoms. One gambling regulator recently cautioned that the US market is becoming “a highway without speed limits.”

A common misconception is that sports betting is less addictive than casino gambling. That’s often attributed to a perceived element of skill or knowledge. However, research suggests that this is not the case; sports betting can be as addictive, especially with the rise of live betting, where outcomes are often resolved in seconds.

Key Statistics on Problem Gambling

The American Gaming Association reports that 21% of adults placed a sports bet in 2024. It also reports that 85% of sports bettors acknowledge the effectiveness of the responsible gambling tools provided.

Despite these tools, problem gambling is on the rise. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, about 2.5 million US adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem. Another five to eight million experience mild to moderate symptoms.

While these numbers are not separated between sports betting and casino gambling, a poll by Siena College Research Institute and St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication reveals troubling behaviors among online sports bettors:

• 52% have “chased” a bet.
• 37% have felt ashamed after losing.
• 20% lost money, which they couldn’t afford.
• 20% have lied about the extent of their sports betting
• 34% know someone with an online sports betting problem
• 23% had had someone express concern about their betting, but only 9% ever sought help with problem gambling.

Treatment providers report a clear demographic trend. Birches Health reports an “ alarming influx of young male bettors across the US seeking assistance for serious gambling problems.” Elliott Rapaport, founder of Birches Health, notes that even people in states without legalized sports betting easily find ways to bet.

Traditionally, that’s been due to illegal offshore platforms. However, recently, event prediction platforms like Kalshi have given access to “sports betting” to many outside legal jurisdiction.

That has led to several state regulators engaging in legal battles with Kalshi. While the platform has been successful so far, a recent questioning by a federal judge in a case against Maryland could pose a threat to Kalshi’s sports event prediction market.

The Cultural Halo Effect and Hidden Risks of Sports Betting

Sports undoubtedly hold a special cultural significance in the US, often seen as a wholesome pastime and bonding activity. This cultural approval extends to sports betting. It creates a halo effect that frames the activity as a less hazardous form of gambling compared to casino games.

Many people don’t consider sports betting as gambling, or at least not as risky. That’s tied to the notion of sports being something culturally ingrained and celebrated. Additionally, many bettors’ perception of their knowledge about the sport or game creates the illusion of control. That’s a belief that the individual’s skills or expertise can influence the outcome of an event.

This perception dangerously downplays the addiction risks linked to sports betting. Casino games, slots in particular, have long been associated with addictive triggers. However, the evolving nature of sports betting is adopting similar elements. The rise of mobile access and in-play (live) betting in particular mirrors the rapid feedback of casino games.

A revealing statistic from the poll by Siena College Research Institute and St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School shows that 86% of sports bettors think they can make money from sports betting. That’s an increase from the 80% in 2024. Don Levy, Siena College Research Institute’s director, highlights the mindset of sports bettors (especially young men) that the activity is harmless entertainment (a UK Gambling Commission survey also supports that):

“Bettors, overwhelmingly young men, say online betting is fun, interesting and exciting and 54% of them place bets at least once or twice a week. Nearly 80% benefitted from promotions in which they were awarded money for participation and while most think they can make money gambling, only 30% say in hindsight they’ve won more than lost.”

Parlays and Live Bets: The Most Dangerous Forms of Sports Betting?

Recent research highlights specific bet types driving higher risk behavior.

A study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the UK and Australia and Kindred Group’s Unibet brand, analyzed anonymized behavioral data from 100,000 UK online gamblers to identify which products most strongly correlate with markers of potential harm.

The study identified six behaviors associated with problem gambling. Then, they used a scale from 0 to 1.0 to measure the connection between the type of gambling and those behaviors. A score of 0 means no correlation. Meanwhile, a score of 1.0 shows that every gambler using that product exhibited those behaviors.

The most at-risk gambling product was slots, with a score of 0.34. That was unsurprising to researchers as slots have a rapid event frequency. Notably, the research found that parlay bets also pose a significant risk. That was especially the case for in-play “combo” parlays, which took the second spot with a score of 0.22.

These parlays, also known as round robins, require users to bet on a large number of mini parlays simultaneously. That increases the chances of getting some return in exchange for a higher wager.

This study focuses on the UK, and its direct applicability to the US market is uncertain. However, research shows that parlays and live bets are among the most popular bet types in the US.

According to Birches Health, 70% of all bets on the NFL and NBA on FanDuel in 2023 were parlays. On a state level, parlays accounted for 32.2% of sports betting handle and 72.5% of gross revenue in September 2024 in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, research from Statista shows that live bets are the most popular type of bet.

Is Sports Betting Less Addictive Than Casino Gambling?

While the Kindred study reveals that slots pose the highest threat, research is increasingly debunking the idea that sports betting is safer.

According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, problem gambling rates among sports bettors are at least twice as high as those of other gamblers. That rate is even higher for those placing sports bets online.

The New Jersey Gambling Prevalence Study, conducted by the Rutgers University Center for Gambling Studies, further highlights behavioral differences between sports bettors and other gamblers.

The study found that sports bettors are more likely to exhibit signs of problem gambling. Also, they bet on a greater number of outcomes than others (nine vs. five). The study also revealed “alarming results” regarding mental health problems.

Sports bettors were significantly more likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs. They reported 10 times higher rates of attempting suicide than other gamblers. Other mental health problems include being 10 times more likely to pay for sex or have unprotected sex with strangers than non-sports bettors.

The illusion of control among sports bettors also encourages bettors to chase losses more frequently. Going back to the Sienna College poll, 52% said they’ve chased losses (58% among young males, 18-24).

Meanwhile, research in British Columbia revealed that, on average, gamblers returned more slowly after a loss across most game types. That indicates a lower tendency to chase losses compared to sports bettors.

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NOGA’s statement comes in response to the new Addiction Care Key Figures 2018 – 2023 report from Landelijk Alcohol en Drugs Informatie Systeem, the Netherlands’ National Alcohol and Drugs Information System.

2023 figures from LADIS show that the number of people in addiction care with gambling as their primary problem has risen to 2,456, in comparison to 2022’s figure of 1,920 people. Gambling addiction accounts for a four per cent share of the total problems in addiction care.

According to NOGA, the main reason behind the increase has been due to the “expansion in the number of supplying institutions, although institutions that have been supplying information for some time have also reported a slight increase”.

Commenting on the figures, Eric Konings, Interim Director of NOGA, stated: “The figures published today show that after years of decline, there is now an increase in the number of gambling addicts in addiction care. 

“Although the growth is mainly caused by the fact that more institutions have started providing figures, this is cause for concern. After all, gambling should be a safe and responsible form of entertainment for all Dutch people, and 2,456 people who had to ask for help are 2,456 too many. 

“As we also stated last year, these figures must be interpreted with caution, because it often takes quite some time before people turn to addiction care for problematic gaming behaviour. Just as the downward trend of recent years was no reason to cheer, these figures are also no reason to panic.”

Konings continued: “It is also not known for the majority of people where they developed gambling problems, and the figures do not distinguish between whether the gambling problem arose from legal and illegal online offerings. It would help enormously for a fact-based debate about gambling addiction problems if this became clear.

“In the meantime, NOGA continues to work for a responsible gambling offering in the Netherlands, such as in our collaboration with AGOG. After all, our members stand for a safe online gambling market.”

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The GGL declared that the main associations of the German gaming industry have jointly- backed the BZgA hotline with further funding. Covering a third of the funding will be the German lotto and totoblock DLTB and the German slot machine industry DAW. 

In addition, financial support will also be provided by the country’s sports betting association DSWV, the online casino association DOCV, the federal association of private individuals casinos BupriS, the casino association DSbV and the lotto association DLV.

The GGL noted that the hotline’s financing is regularly renegotiated, but the regulator is committed to ensuring it is permanently secured.

“Free telephone advice on gambling addiction is an important offer for those affected,” commented GGL board member Benjamin Schwanke.

“The online gambling market in Germany is growing and with it the importance of prevention work. In this respect, we are very pleased about the industry’s willingness to contribute its part to prevention work through financing.”

Serving as a first point of contact for those suffering from gambling problems, the free telephone hotline offers confidential information and education about gambling addiction, existing local support information and specific advice on personal problems and life difficulties that have resulted from gambling addiction or problematic gambling behaviour.

Open to players, relatives and interested parties, the free service is available at 0800 137 2700 from Monday to Thursday from 10am to 10pm, and Friday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

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The funding will allow for an update to Jellinek e-learning for early detection of gambling problems, a guide on Geldfit.nl to inform the public about gambling risk and where to go for money concern assistance, and the development of the Helder Op School programme – providing schools with materials for identifying and guiding risky or problematic gambling behaviour among young adults.

Established in 2021, funding provided by the VPF is managed by the Ksa, working together with the Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport, as well as Justice and Security on how to allocate the funds.

Regarding e-learning for early detection of gambling problems and at the request of the Ministry of Youth, addiction agency Jellinek developed digital online gambling addiction education for healthcare and business professionals such as doctors, POH GGZ, psychologists and debt counsellors. The education helps these professionals identify gambling addiction more efficiently. 

Receiving additional funding, Jellinek will now update the e-learning platform and further promote its training courses to improve early detection. For further active rollouts of the module, the focus will be on POH-GGZ and debt counsellors. The efficiency of the e-learning platform will also be evaluated.

Geldfit will allow the public to ask questions about how to handle finances, as well as personal advice, through an online guide based on gambling addiction. The guide will provide information on gambling risk and direct people towards the appropriate help if needed. 

Helder Op School is a prevention programme by the Trimbos Institute which addresses topics such as smoking, drinking, drugs and gambling. The programme focuses on encouraging young people to make healthy choices and supports parents and school staff in recognising risky behaviour.

The additional funding will help the Trimbos Institute develop Helder Op School to improve the identification and guidance of risky or problematic gambling behaviour among young adults.

Since each project is in its pilot phase, the funding for each could be extended in the future.

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Through the partnership, Mindway AI’s advanced player protection technology will be combined with AnonyMind’s gambling harm treatment expertise to produce a comprehensive solution for at-risk players.

Operators that utilise Mindway AI’s software will be able to offer players direct access to AnonyMind’s counselling services to help them take “proactive steps to prevent and treat addiction”.

Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO of Mindway AI, commented: “At Mindway AI, we are committed to using our technology to help operators promote responsible gambling and prevent addiction. We are thrilled to partner with AnonyMind, who share our commitment to addressing this important issue.” 

Deployed in over 21 countries and reaching 6.5 million active players monthly, Mindway AI combines machine learning algorithms with expert psychologists’ assessments to spot at-risk gambling behaviour as early as possible and provide “actionable insights” to operators.

AnonyMind provides psychological treatments to people struggling with gambling addiction. Treatment is personalised, evidence-based, confidential and delivered by clinical psychologists via “bonafide treatment methods, such as high-intensity cognitive-behavioural therapy, 3rd Wave CBT models, DBT-informed approaches and EMDR”.

Individuals are matched to the right therapist for tailored treatment through a “clinical formulation” and support is also offered to affected family members.

Andrew Plummer, Head of Partnerships at AnonyMind, added: “This first-of-its-kind partnership sees the integration of Mindway’s market-leading AI technologies with the AnonyMind CarePlus service to proactively identify problem gambling within an operators’ network and provide independent, flexible and sustainable intervention support to prevent the escalation of harmful behaviours.

“We look forward to this collaboration and the important insights that can be gained through truly independent early identification and intervention.”

Back in March, Mindway AI agreed to a partnership with the Hellenic Gaming Commission to improve player protection in Greece.

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As part of the agreement, the regulator will partner with the organisation to enhance and develop its knowledge on the ‘phenomena of addiction’, with the ANJ also donating 0.002 per cent of its stakes to finance scientific research on gambling and problem gamblers.

A spokesperson for the ANJ commented: “To maintain gambling in a sustainable perspective of recreational gambling and better protect players, it is essential to better understand the drivers of gambling behaviour and the complex phenomena of addiction they produce.”

The deal specifies the cooperation between the two, by outlining the scope of their interventions and how to reduce the prevention of excessive or pathological gambling, while also protecting minors.

Additionally, both have agreed to share their expertise on recreational gambling, as well as data and knowledge relating to ADHD and mechanisms associated with addiction. 

The ANJ said it may involve the OFDT in its work and, in particular, will invite the body to participate in the work of the advisory committee on the prevention of excessive gambling.

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The non-profit organisation makes the comments in a statement issued in conjunction with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, as it continues a mission of leading state and national stakeholders in the development of comprehensive policy and programs for those affected.

“Some Americans continue to struggle to fully comprehend how cultural and historical experiences can shape the identity of different racial and ethnic groups,” the NCPG statement reads.

“The lack of understanding often shows up in health care, but work is being done to bridge these gaps. That includes introducing legislative solutions at the local, state and federal levels to provide support, treatment, and hope for those who suffer with mental health challenges like gambling addiction. However, we know that much more can be done to help people and communities of colour. 

“Many people think that individuals with addictions should just stop and not do it anymore. They feel it is a moral failing or lack of willpower – not a treatable disease.”

The group moves on to address “a hidden addiction that nevertheless demands attention,” and emphasises that the psychological burdens are “profound”.

“For example, one in five people who have severe gambling problems will attempt suicide. Intergenerational trauma, abuse, and other personal aspects of being different feed into one another and can perpetuate addiction,” it is added. 

“It is time for all of us to treat people as individuals. If a person struggles with an addiction, we need to ask ourselves, ‘what happened, what are they struggling with?’ We must work hard to reach out to other races and ethnicities to learn about their cultures and find our commonalities going forward. 

“If you grew up in the US, you are no doubt familiar with this declaration: ‘I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ 

“We must, as a nation, make our actions embody these words – make them permeate how we think about the multitude of challenges we face as a nation. If you treat others as you would want to be treated, we are likely to achieve better results, including that vision of liberty and justice for all.” 

The NCPG is a national advocate for programs and services to assist people and families affected by problem gambling, and to improve health and wellness by reducing its personal, social, and economic costs.

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