Online gambling regulatory policy : an analysis from the perspective of the rights and duties of the gambler in Portugal

english

2025

volume 17, issue 1

online gambling   players' rights and obligations   public policy   regulation   vulnerable online gamblers

Univerza v Mariboru, Pravna fakulteta
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Online games constitute an increasingly widespread activity that carries increased risks for players, especially minors. This study analyses the effectiveness of protecting online players' rights considering Portuguese legislation, which originates from the common European rules established for all Member States of the European Union. This study aims to characterise the Portuguese regulatory policy for games of chance, especially in the online gaming modality, its regulatory principles, its characteristics, and purposes, and to describe how it articulates with European recommendations. Based on this characterisation, this study analyses the effectiveness of compliance with the fundamental aspects of this regulatory policy by entities operating online gambling from the perspective of protecting the rights and duties of players, as enshrined. It concludes that some of these rights need to be sufficiently protected. The methodology includes analysing the websites of licensed entities and providing a questionnaire to young people who frequently play online. The study shows that the information on online gaming platforms reasonably complies with the current legal requirements and that players must be fully aware of all their rights. It also highlights that such rights are not fully protected in sensitive aspects.

29.12.2025