Safer gambling policies have traditionally focused around limiting players. Imposing deposit limits, loss limits and time limits as the most popular player protection mechanisms reflects, even if subconsciously, that the problem is on the player rather than the operator or the wider ecosystem. 

But the reality is that if players are not fully aware of the risks of gambling, nor how the industry and its products actually work, they are simply unable to make informed decisions about their gambling habits. 

Therefore, education plays a vital role in ensuring that players can enjoy gambling as a leisurely entertainment activity in a healthy environment. 

SBC Insights has put education under the spotlight in a new industry snapshot report titled ‘Shaping the Future of Player Education’. Commissioned by 1xCare, the report takes a global snapshot of what education measures the industry currently has in place and asks what is next to keep players informed about their gambling activity. 

Simon Westbury, Chair of 1xCare, told SBC News: “Outcomes outweigh process. The true measure of successful player protection regulation should be whether harm decreases, not how many compliance steps it introduces.”

 “If all stakeholders can better share information between each other, it might just make gambling a much safer environment.”

What is driving player education in 2026?

The report takes a look at how other high-risk industries including cryptocurrency exchanges, prediction markets and foreign exchange trading platforms educate their users and identify gaps where gambling operators could improve their communications. 

It also examines how operators can actually educate players in a meaningful way so they actually engage with tools, after an in-depth report on education revealed that 60% of players are apathetic towards such tools. 

Meanwhile, operators must have experienced and knowledgeable staff in customer-facing roles, meaning that staff training is more important than ever, so the report examines best practices on training staff for player protection. 

Regulation is also paramount to creating a fair and level playing field for operators on player education. Across Europe, Latin America and Africa, regulations have been evolving at a rapid pace, often becoming more stringent and impacting operators’ player protection strategies. The report examines regulatory changes in the last five years and asks how it has impacted player protection efforts. 

Quirino Mancini, a member of the 1xCare advisory board, added: “Regulation has side effects. Operators should proactively co-operate with regulators to help them identify and prevent the potential unintended consequences of changes before implementation.”

“The key ingredients for a sound regulatory regime when it comes to consumer protection and responsible gambling in particular are regular audits, risk management as well as clear, sustainable and balanced compliance rules.”

Marketing in the crossfires

The main target of more stringent regulation is often marketing. Widespread criticism of gambling advertising from mainstream media and politicians have influenced regulators and lawmakers to take action, introducing curfews, sponsorship limits and restricting the use of celebrities. 

Yet this neglects the fact that marketing is essential for legal and licensed operators to engage appropriately with their audiences in a way that the black market does not need to. 

Chris Bird, also part of the 1xCare board, explained: “Marketing should be part of the answer, not part of the problem. Operators and their marketing partners have a real opportunity to educate customers, promote safer gambling, steer people towards lower risk products where appropriate, and keep players within the regulated market where safeguards exist.”

“Responsibility doesn’t stop with the operator. Every part of the supply chain should be prepared to look at its own role. That includes asking whether game design encourages unhealthy behaviour, whether KYC systems have weaknesses that can be exploited, and whether payment providers are unintentionally making harmful gambling easier.”

Building an evidence base to create a debate

The purpose of the snapshot report is the help stimulate a debate around player protection, and to build education into some of those conversations. 

By speaking to senior industry leaders and academics, the report paints a picture of what the industry is currently doing on education and recommends where the next steps should be in the coming years.

It comes as 1xCare is established to promote responsible gambling and player protection across the industry, responding to the ‘growing need for coordinated, evidence-informed and human-centred approaches to gambling-related harm’.

Sissel Weitzhändler, also a member of the 1xCare advisory board, noted: “Not all ‘evidence’ is equal. Regulators should work with academics and operators to establish common definitions and create key datasets to make research more useful.”

“Prevention and treatment are not separate issues. Effective systems must do more than stipulate when account restrictions should be used and should include clear pathways to independent support for issues such as addiction, mental health, debt management and domestic violence.”

“Players care about privacy. Lawmakers and regulators must consider whether requests for data are necessary or represent unjustified intrusion.”

You can download the full report, as well as the entire International Player Safety Index series by SBC Insights and supported by 1xCare by heading to SBCNews