The Better Gambling Forum (BGF) is a global initiative aimed at enhancing player protection and minimizing gambling-related harm through evidence-based policies and responsible gambling practices.
Launched by the Brain Capital Alliance, the BGF collaborates with key international stakeholders, including the G7/G20, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum. Its goal is to create a unified framework that regulators, operators, researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers can employ to enhance player protection on a global scale.
Central to its mission is the proposed Responsible Gambling Practice and Policy Pillars (RG3P) Framework, designed to structure strategies for preventing and alleviating gambling harm. This framework anticipates becoming a global benchmark for responsible gambling policies, awareness initiatives, treatment services, and regulatory standards, applicable in both emerging and established gambling markets.
Recently, the BGF adopted a UN report resulting from a workshop held at the BGF Collaborative Event in September 2025 in New York City. This report went through two rounds of stakeholder consultations, including a webinar in May 2026. The final report is set to reshape the Pillars framework for various stakeholders, including regulators, health officials, and government entities.
From a public health perspective, the BGF approaches gambling not just as a matter of individual choice but also as an issue requiring coordinated efforts across multiple sectors, such as government, industry, healthcare, research, and community organizations. The BGF aims to create safer gambling environments while ensuring adequate support for those encountering gambling-related issues.
While certain countries are exploring bans on specific gambling types, the BGF acknowledges that consumer enjoyment of gambling persists. Consequently, their stance is to advocate for regulation that mitigates harm while allowing continued engagement in gambling activities.
The RG3P Framework and UN Report encompass six foundational pillars that provide guidance for player protection:
1. **Education, informed choice, and harm prevention**: This pillar emphasizes the importance of providing players with transparent information about the risks of gambling, allowing them to make knowledgeable choices. Educational initiatives aim to raise awareness of gambling products, odds, and warning signs linked to problem gambling, focusing on preventive strategies to minimize harm proactively.
2. **Risk detection and intervention**: The framework promotes tools and technologies to detect early signs of harmful gambling behaviors. By monitoring behavioral indicators and initiating timely interventions, it aims to assist at-risk individuals before gambling-related harm escalates.
3. **Support, treatment, and recovery**: Ensuring access to effective support services is crucial for player protection. The BGF highlights the necessity of treatment programs, counseling services, recovery resources, and pathways for referrals, integrating these with broader health services for a holistic support approach.
4. **Gambling environment, product, and marketing standards**: This pillar focuses on the design and regulation of gambling products, venues, and advertising practices. The framework sets standards aimed at minimizing harm, promoting safer gambling environments, and ensuring that marketing does not exploit vulnerable populations.
5. **Ethical industry practices and accountability**: The BGF advocates for transparency and ethical behavior throughout the gambling sector, urging operators to prioritize player welfare in their decision-making and to demonstrate measurable commitments to responsible gambling.
6. **Research, evaluation, and sustainable funding**: The final pillar underscores the significance of ongoing research into gambling behavior, risk factors, and effective interventions. The framework supports sustainable funding strategies for long-term investments in prevention, treatment, and evaluation initiatives, allowing policies and practices to evolve with new evidence.
Addressing the diverse standards of responsible gambling policies across jurisdictions, the BGF seeks to bridge these gaps with a common reference point adaptable to local conditions while upholding consistent principles. By fostering collaboration among regulators, operators, public health organizations, treatment providers, and researchers, it hopes to reduce gambling-related harm, enhance player protections, and foster healthier gambling environments globally.
In the upcoming months, the BGF aims to promote the visibility of the Pillars and the UN report at major events, having recently concluded a panel discussion at the UN General Assembly in September. It plans to hold further discussions at forums such as SBC Lisbon, ICE in Barcelona, and Davos in January 2027.
Additionally, the BGF is seeking new members to enrich expertise and knowledge around player protection, thereby contributing to the Brain Capital Alliance's mission of enhancing mental health resilience through effective public policy. This initiative represents a substantial commitment to establishing internationally recognized standards for responsible gambling, integrating education, early intervention, treatment access, responsible product design, industry accountability, and ongoing research into a comprehensive framework.
