Dr Margaret Carran was invited to share the new Recommended Code of Practice for Online Self-Exclusion at the International Conference on Responsible Gambling and Gaming Addiction (ICRGGA) in Manila.
By City St George's Press Office (City St George's Press Office), Published (Updated )
At this year’s International Conference on Responsible Gambling and Gaming Addiction (ICRGGA) hosted in Manila, Philippines, Dr Margaret Carran, Associate Professor in Law and Associate Dean (Education) at The City Law School shared the new international Recommended Code of Practice for Online Self-Exclusion, reimagining online gambling standards.
According to the Gambling Commission, approximately 19.6 million adults gambled online in the UK in 2023 (8.1 million excluding those who only play Lottery draws). While often seen as a form of entertainment, gambling can stem into addiction, financial and other harms. The industry is continuing to expand worldwide through the mobilisation of ever more online platforms, with a reported 2,261 online operators in the UK alone between 2023 and 2024. The position is the same for most jurisdictions around the world.
Dr Carran researches online gambling in relation to the legal regulations it is bound by.
The ICRGGA conference, hosted in Manila in May, 2025, was the second conference hosted by the International Problem Gambling and Gaming Certification Board in partnership with the Quezon City Government and Seagulls Flock Organisation, a non-profit organisation committed to addressing gambling.
Dr. Carran delivered her plenary keynote speech, “The Art of Responsible gambling - Does it exist?” in front of over 250 multi-disciplinary regulators, academics and researchers, and during the following day she introduced the Online Self-Exclusion Recommended Code of Practice. It was compiled over the course of three years, blending the work of international experts from three different continents to represent all online gambling and stakeholder groups.
Self-exclusion is a formal process where individuals can ask to be banned from gambling services for a set period. In some countries, self-exclusion is not a legal requirement that gambling operators need to adhere to. The Code of Practice therefore aims to provide readily available solutions for regulators and policymakers in countries where self-exclusion is not mandatorily prescribed, so that they can move towards embedding the concept into law.
In countries where self-exclusion is already well-established, the Code is intended to prompt regulators to review existing rules and align them with international standards, to harmonise the approaches adopted by different jurisdictions.
Speaking at the conference, in response to the question whether we can now conclusively define what responsible gambling actually means, Dr Carran said:
The Philippines has much tourist appeal for its vast number of land-based casinos. Their online gambling provisions are also expanding, and regulators are very keen on ensuring that it is done in a safer manner.
The Quezon City Government was one of the co-hosts of the 2025 ICRGGA, and the inaugural conference in 2024 was sponsored by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, a fully government-owned corporation protecting legal gambling, which showcases local and legal collaboration to tackle the growing issue.
Byline: this article was written by Andrea Costache, Communications Assistant, City St George's, University of London Press Office
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