SBC News

The Romanian chapter of international NGO Save the Children has called for urgent reforms to protect minors against gambling addiction and harms, urging Romanian authorities to copy underage protections applied across EU states.

A study put forward by the organisation claimed that 14% of surveyed children admitted to having gambled at one point, while 40% of the total know of a peer who gambles. What’s more, seven out of 10 respondents said they’ve been made aware of gambling through public advertisements.

As a result, Save the Children has urged Romanian policymakers to act immediately and protect minors by introducing a number of gambling restrictions “in the following weeks or months”.

The reforms that the NGO is calling for include a blanket ban on advertising across all media outlets and in public, a ban on gambling promotions by celebrities and influencers, a minimum allowed distance between gaming halls and schools, raising the minimum age for players to 21, as well as strengthening Romania’s national self-exclusion system.

These were discussed at a Parliament roundtable where Save the Children representatives sat down with various public institutions, politicians, and child healthcare specialists.

Gabriela Alexandrescu, President of Save the Children Romania, said: “We must be aware of the real risks of gambling addiction and the destructive pathological behaviors it generates.

“It is imperative to completely eliminate gambling advertising, limit the spaces dedicated to these activities, and even prohibit gambling for people under 21.”

Adding to its case, the NGO said that similar restrictions were already being rolled out across other countries like Italy, Moldova, Belgium, and Greece.

“Save the Children recalls that other European states have already adopted similar measures: Italy and the Republic of Moldova have completely banned gambling advertising, and countries such as Belgium, Greece, Lithuania or Ukraine have raised the age threshold to 21 years.”

MP Raluca Turcan supported Alexandrescu’s position by commenting: “It is time to make better and firmer decisions. There are already several legislative initiatives in Parliament, but, for various reasons, they are blocked. I believe that we can no longer afford any delays.

“Gambling advertisements must not invade children’s space. It is vital to ban not only gaming halls, but also billboards and advertisements near schools, parks, playgrounds, campuses, hospitals or churches.”

Gambling sector on the case, bigger fish left to fry
While gambling is often being portrayed as the harbinger of risks to minors, it should also be noted that alcohol and cigarette consumption rates among Romanian youth are also worryingly high.

A 2024 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that Romanians aged 15 and over consume an average of 17 litres of alcohol per year – with the global average being 5.5 litres.

Youth smoking rates in Romania are also among the highest in Europe, with a Youth Barometer 2024 study reporting that the share of young people who smoke has increased from 29% in 2018 to 41% in 2024.

Yet, gambling is the sector that appears to be making headlines on a daily basis. However, being a frequent target of such a high level of scrutiny, the gambling sector has become one of the most regulated opposite to popular beliefs.

In Romania specifically, some of the measures that Save the Children is calling for have already been looked at and assessed months prior.

For one, celebrities have already been banned from participating in gambling promotions thanks to a decree issued by the National Audiovisual Council back in June.

On the topic of self-exclusion, the licensed gambling market itself came forward to call for better regulation when Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), addressed the nation earlier in May.

2025 has seen Romania gambling hit by regulatory scandals, following the blowback of the €1bn auditing failure of the national regulator, ONJN.

Newly elected President Nicușor Dan has come under pressure from coalition partners to abolish the ONJN altogether and transfer oversight of gambling to a newly established regulatory authority with stronger governance and transparency safeguards.

Glücksspiel (GGL), Germany’s Federal Gambling Authority, has warned the Bundesländer (federal states) to treat the threat of illegal online gambling as a serious public health risk.

The warning comes ahead of the GGL’s annual Gambling Addiction Action Day (24 September), with the regulator urging state agencies to scrutinise offers and advertising that promote unlicensed providers.

As Ronald Benter, CEO of the GGL, explained: “Illegal platforms do not offer effective player protection mechanisms. Anyone who plays there runs a significant risk of developing a gambling addiction.”

The Action Day is held under the patronage of Prof. Hendrik Streeck, the Federal Government’s Commissioner for Addiction and Drugs, and this year carries the motto “Gambling Harms – Recognise, Name, Avoid.”

The 2025 campaign includes a symposium for state authorities to exchange best practices in treating gambling harm, while also reminding consumers to consult the GGL’s whitelist of licensed operators under the Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüNeuRStV).

Commissioner rings alarm on Gambling Addiction
As patron of the campaign, Prof Streeck used the Action Day to provide a stark update on gambling addiction. He noted that 1.3–1.4 million adults are already addicted, with a further 3.5 million at risk.

Around 600,000 minors live with at least one gambling-addicted parent, facing neglect, depression, anxiety, and financial insecurity. Streeck warned that gambling disorder remains one of Germany’s most common addictions, often hidden for years and devastating for families.

Yet headline figures mask a deeper challenge. Experts agree that Germany has significant liabilities in how it measures and interprets gambling harm. There is no academic consensus on how to separate play on licensed versus unlicensed sites, or how to quantify the true social cost.

GlüNeuRStV has no accountability
Nearly three years since the GlüStV 2021 came into force, the federal regime remains troubled by divisions on data and exposure to black market threats.

The GGL’s Third Annual Activity Report estimated that unlicensed operators accounted for 25% of the online gambling market in 2024. Official figures put total legal stakes at €8.2bn, up slightly from €7.9bn the year before.

For the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV), this represented long-overdue transparency but not accuracy. Chairman Mathias Dahms argued the black market share is far higher, “exceeding 50%” according to studies such as the influential Schnabl report.

One alarming statistic was that the number of illegal German-language sports betting websites jumped 36% from 281 to 382 in a year, against just 34 licensed sites on the GGL whitelist.

“The ratio of legal to illegal sites is around 1 to 11,” Dahms said. “Illegal providers benefit from offering wider markets, especially in live betting, which is immensely popular. This is precisely why many users switch.”

The dispute reflects a broader question over Germany’s restrictive model. Licensed operators are bound by stringent rules including €1 maximum stakes on online slots, strict deposit caps, narrow bet types and heavy ad restrictions.

Critics argue that these restrictions make the legal market less appealing. By contrast, illegal sites exploit demand for in-play betting and broader wagering options.

This gap undermines channelisation, the treaty’s core goal of steering players into the regulated market. Critics say that since GlüNeuRStV’s inception, true accountability has been paused, with conflicting statistics fuelling a stalemate between regulator and industry.

GGL hands tied
The GGL, for its part, has pressed ahead with enforcement. Since 2023 it has implemented geo-blocking under the EU Digital Services Act, expanded payment blocking, and lobbied Google to restrict ads to licensed operators. But enforcement is resource-intensive: by late 2024 the GGL was defending 189 lawsuits, many brought by operators challenging licence decisions and restrictions.

The regulator leans heavily on the GlüNeuRStV Atlas compiled by the University of Bremen, but these figures are refuted by the German Online Casino Association (DOCV), which argues they understate the black market and misrepresent consumer behaviour.

Anxieties on Interstate direction
Underlying these disputes is a constitutional reality: the GGL enforces, but cannot legislate. Any reform — whether on advertising, sponsorship, deposit limits or product scope — requires Bundestag approval, and political opinion remains divided.

Betting on amateur football has already triggered state-level disputes over integrity and oversight, while also prompting operators like Interwetten to pull wagering markets on amateur sports.

Looking ahead, 2026 is expected to bring a federal law on gambling advertising and sponsorship, likely the next battleground. Until then, both sides invoke player protection: the GGL through uniform restrictions, and the DSWV by demanding a legal market strong enough to outcompete the black market.

As Dahms put it: “With this figure, the GGL is creating more transparency for the market and the public. Fact-based debates are only possible if we have access to reliable official figures—we expressly welcome this step.”

Clarity has not yet delivered consensus. Germany’s online gambling market remains a divided house, with addiction concerns, black market leakage, and regulatory rigidity leaving the future of the Interstate model uncertain.

In Denmark, Tax Minister Rasmus Stoklund has begun negotiations with parties of the Folketinget (General Assembly) to implement new gambling laws.

Discussions are set to focus on measures to curb gambling advertising a debate that has long divided Denmark’s political spectrum. This debate has centred on the scale of potential restrictions, with several ministers backing an outright blanket ban.

Rasmus Stoklund: Denmark
Ministerial commitment

Ahead of the negotiations, Stoklund issued a public statement affirming the government’s commitment to finding a workable resolution that both protects consumers and balances the interests of the state and licensed operators. His PR stressed that “the marketing culture has become too aggressive” and that reform was now unavoidable.

“We all experience this when we watch a football match on TV. The marketing culture has become too aggressive, and it is of course something I will discuss with the parties in the Danish Parliament,” said Rasmus Stoklund, confirming that a whistle-to-whistle ban on advertising during sports broadcasts would be part of his proposals.

The Tax Minister set out five core objectives in his PR:

Tone down aggressive marketing – tackle the saturation of gambling adverts, especially around televised sports.

Introduce whistle-to-whistle ban – prohibit gambling ads during live sports broadcasts.

Strengthen prevention – reduce the number of Danes developing gambling problems.

Improve treatment – allocate more funds and resources for facilities supporting people with gambling addiction.

Protect young people – ensure stronger safeguards for children and adolescents exposed to gambling risks.

Consensus: Gambling Act too broad
Despite political differences, parties across the Folketinget share a view that the current Gambling Act is too broad in its definition of marketing rules. At present, licensed operators are bound by the Danish Act on Gambling and the Danish Marketing Practices Act.

At present, Gambling ads in Denmark must comply with both gambling legislation and the Marketing Act. Rules require a truthful presentation of winning chances, ban targeting under-18s, prohibit misleading celebrity endorsements, and forbid suggesting that gambling solves financial or social problems.

As the Danish Gambling Authority reminds: “Gambling operators, who hold licences to provide gambling in Denmark, must comply with the rules on marketing stipulated in the Danish Act on Gambling. Furthermore, the marketing must also be in accordance with the Danish Marketing Practices Act.”

However, MPs argue that the vague definitions and limited enforcement powers leave gaps that operators have exploited — leading to what critics describe as a near-constant bombardment of gambling messaging across Danish media.

Media has lost control
Official figures from Danish media networks reveal the scale of coverage and concerns. In 2024, Denmark saw more than 767,000 gambling adverts aired across TV and radio, equating to an average of 2,100 per day — a fivefold increase since the market was liberalised in 2012.

Critics accuse operators of a “carpet bombing” approach, particularly during televised football matches, with opponents warning that such saturation risks normalising gambling for young audiences.

The issue has become a flashpoint in public debate, with lawmakers warning that existing laws no longer reflect today’s advertising landscape.

Tough negotiations
Negotiations on final measures will not be easy. Opposition parties, including the Social Liberals (R) and the Socialist People’s Party (SF), are urging faster and tougher action than the government appears ready to deliver.

The urgency is underscored by research showing that around 500,000 Danes experience some degree of gambling-related harm, with an estimated 29,500 classified as problem gamblers — a rate that critics say reflects the long-term impact of Denmark’s liberalised gambling market.

Samira Nawa (R), tax spokesperson for the Danish Social Liberal Party, criticised the current framework: “The liberal gambling market has left us exposed. I would very much like to, once and for all, do away with gambling advertising. This is our opportunity to put an end to it, and I hope the ministry has explored every possibility to tighten the rules.”

SF deputy chairman of the Tax Committee, Sigurd Agersnap, was equally blunt: “It is embarrassing that so much time has passed while the advertising push from the industry has only grown stronger. The liberalised market has normalised gambling in everyday life — and now we are paying the price.”

Other concerns point to the growing popularity of online casino games, highlighted by recent market reports from the Danish Gambling Authority. In 2024 alone, online casinos generated more than DKK 4bn in gross gaming revenue (GGR), overtaking lotteries and betting as the leading source of player spend.

Ministers of Danish Conservatives (DKF) argue the trend demands a regulatory response of the highest-risk gambling category, given its constant accessibility and higher association with problem gambling, and that direct restrictions need to be considered.

2026 outlook
With negotiations underway, all eyes are on the government’s legislative catalogue, which has promised proposals to limit advertising and enhance player protections by February.

Yet uncertainty remains over whether Stoklund will push for bold measures such as a whistle-to-whistle TV ban, or settle on a political compromise more palatable to Denmark’s liberal coalition partners.

The SVM coalition government has faced mounting criticism over its inaction in dealing with the surge of gambling advertising. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s cabinet has now moved to reassure both parliaments that new restrictions will be applied, with Stoklund tasked to deliver a strengthened framework for gambling advertising in the coming months.

Stoklund is the sixth government minister since 2019 to pledge a review of gambling regulation — yet so far, successive cabinets have failed to deliver concrete resolutions.

The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has cautioned operators to be mindful of the strategies they use to influence consumer behaviour, as this can swing both ways.

In a study commissioned by the authority, research firm Behavioural Insights provided an in-depth analysis of the behavioural influence tactics that Dutch iGaming platforms utilise.

The two main points considered were what kind of behavioural influence strategies operators have put in place, and in what way can these tactics positively or negatively affect the choices of players.

Methodology
Researchers tested a total of 21 online gaming platforms and 35 games shared between them, ensuring that their choices vary in game popularity, game variation, platform variation, as well as the “push factor” – meaning the prominence of incentives on offer to attract players.

The outcomes were segregated into two categories – ‘dark patterns’ and ‘bright patterns’. The former represents a conscious attempt to push a consumer’s behaviour against their own interest, “extracting as much data, money, and time as possible” from them.

Bright patterns on the other hand were described in the report as using the same influencing techniques to help consumers make well-informed choices, in addition to proactively safeguarding vulnerable groups.

To make the results easier for digestion, the research identified a total of six phases as part of the player lifecycle where such patterns can be identified.

These were the landing page, registration, homepage, the game setting itself, withdrawals, and account closing.

Dark patterns seen across the board
Dark patterns could be seen across each of the six stages. Unbalanced info, which fails to display important information about the product, was mostly observed in the game setting phase.

Friction, which the study says can unnecessarily obstruct the behaviour of players, was often present in the registration, game setting, withdrawal and account closing stages.

Although lesser in frequency, some operators also created a false sense of urgency across their landing and home pages, which the report says could lead to rushed customer decisions.

Most notable, however, was the ‘Habitual Behaviour’ dark pattern. According to the report, this is the category most likely to steer players towards problem gambling.

This pattern was frequently seen in the registration stage, home stage, and the game playing stage. It usually involves “conditioning” sound and visual effects to encourage gambling, as well as promotions incentivising large amounts of wagers.

Separately, bright patterns were also observed, with the most common types being self-exclusion options and safer gambling messaging. However, Behavioural Insights highlighted that the prominence and frequency of bright patterns were not correlated with those of the dark patterns.

Report to influence future policies
As a result of the study, the KSA will now launch its own proprietary investigation into the negative effects of the behavioural influence tactics described above. The regulator wants to establish any conflict with duty of care principles and potentially introduce tighter restrictions.

Michel Groothuizen, Chairman of the KSA, added: “At the KSA, we understand that online providers, like other commercial companies, look at what users do with their platforms and how they can steer that to their advantage.

“Thanks to this research, we know better how they do this, and we can also give more direction in the field of negative management and things we no longer want to see.”

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