With backgrounds in harm reduction and gambling addiction, the two new members of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG) are welcomed. Marionneau and Murch join the ABSG to offer the UK Gambling Commission (GC) unbiased guidance on important regulatory matters.
The UK’s gambling laws have been significantly shaped by the ABSG, which was originally known as the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board until 2019. The National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms was developed by the group in collaboration with the GC and ran from April 2019 to April 2022. The board gave the GC advice on a number of issues during that time, including the 2023 review of the Gambling Act, and it released three annual reports.
Marionneau Advocates for Collaboration
Sociologist Virve Marionneau, director of the Centre for Research on Addiction, Control, and Governance at the University of Helsinki, joins ABSG with a focus on gambling regulation and harm prevention. Her research covers gambling regulation, industry practices, and digital gambling environments. Highlighting the need for cross-sector collaboration, she said, “I’m honoured to join the ABSG, especially at a time when increasing international and cross-sector collaboration is needed to regulate and control gambling.”
Marionneau plans to contribute insights from her extensive research and experiences in other jurisdictions to help inform UK policy.
Cognitive psychologist Dr. Michael Murch, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Calgary, brings a strong focus on using artificial intelligence (AI) to address gambling addiction. Murch has researched the cognitive and behavioural aspects of digital product addiction and sees AI as a key tool for preventing gambling-related harm. “As AI technologies and digital gambling opportunities continue to evolve, it is more important than ever to understand clearly the threats posed to human health in the UK and around the world,” Murch said.
ABSG chair Anna van der Gaag expressed her enthusiasm for the new appointments. She noted, “They are highly respected academics, both with a strong record of achievement in the field of gambling studies. I’ve no doubt they will bring valuable new insights to an ever-expanding range of topics which inform policy and practice in gambling regulation.”
With these hires, the ABSG is able to take on the ever-changing issues of national and international gaming regulation while also broadening its area of competence.
The post New Experts Join ABSG to Strengthen Gambling Harm Prevention Efforts appeared first on iGaming.org.