Gambling regulations in Europe have entered a new phase – one not only defined by tighter rules but also a clear shift towards evidence and technology-based player protection.
From Denmark to the UK, expectations are increasing and box-ticking is no longer enough for operators in these mature markets. Now they must demonstrate measurable effectiveness in risk identification, early intervention and player safeguarding.
To unpack the latest regulatory developments, discuss how operators can address compliance gaps between regulations and implementation, and work with regulators to guard against overregulation, iGamingFuture invited Carl Ørnstrup Etzerodt, Legal and Regulatory Affairs Manager at Mindway AI, to share his perspective.
With a background in both business and law, Carl has been with Mindway AI since 2021. He leads contract management, licensing and policy across multiple jurisdictions. Impressively, he’s also been nominated as Young Changemaker of the Year by Casino Guru – a recognition of his significant contribution to ethical innovation in iGaming in 2025.
So without further ado, let’s dive in and hear what Carl has to say.
What does the new Danish guidance tell us about the direction regulators are moving in, and what should operators be doing now to prepare?
“The Danish Gambling Authority’s updated guidance is another great step forward for consumer protection, and it clearly shows that the movement toward stronger and more proactive safeguarding of players is still accelerating.
“Denmark has often been at the forefront of responsible gambling.
“This new guidance signals that regulators are increasingly expecting earlier detection of problematic behaviour, more structured interventions and greater evidence of effective player protection.
“I expect this trajectory to continue across other markets as well. We’re already seeing newly opening jurisdictions adopt strong consumer protection principles from the outset, for example Brazil has embedded responsible gambling considerations directly into its regulatory framework from day one.
“Operators should assume that similar expectations will emerge elsewhere and begin aligning their processes, data readiness and technological capabilities accordingly.”
What are the biggest compliance gaps operators face when implementing responsible gambling frameworks, and how can they be overcome?
“One of the biggest challenges operators face is translating complex regulatory guidance into practical, day-to-day operational processes.
“Regulations tend to be highly detailed, often technical and open to interpretation, making implementation difficult – especially for operators that don’t have deep in-house expertise dedicated solely to responsible gambling.
“A key step here is finding partners who work in this space and can help bridge the gap between regulatory expectations and real-world operations.
“At Mindway AI we focus exclusively on responsible gambling, which is why we excel at supporting operators in this area.
“By having a specialist partner handle the sophisticated risk detection and behavioural analysis, operators can concentrate on what they do best while ensuring that their responsible gambling framework meets both regulatory requirements and industry best practices.”
Regulators increasingly demand evidence-based player protection. How can behavioural data and AI help operators demonstrate genuine effectiveness?
“An evidence-based approach is absolutely the right way forward because it ensures that the measures and interventions being used are actually effective.
“If operators rely solely on transactional data–such as deposits and losses–they are likely to experience high levels of both false negatives and false positives. These signals alone rarely reflect the full picture of player vulnerability.
“By incorporating behavioural data and advanced AI models, we can analyse patterns, changes and risk indicators far more efficiently and accurately than a human ever could. This significantly reduces the risk of missing genuine cases (false negatives) or flagging safe players unnecessarily (false positives).
“And as we all know, when we use the correct data, the more data we can process, the better and more reliable the insights become. This gives operators clear, evidence-based documentation of the effectiveness of their responsible gambling strategy – exactly what regulators are now asking for.”
Do you expect similar frameworks focused on early detection and intervention to become standard across Europe and beyond?
“Yes. I definitely see other markets moving toward similar frameworks, especially within the EU, where consumer protection is already a mature topic and continues to receive increasing focus.
“Early detection and timely intervention are becoming recognised as essential components of a modern and effective regulatory model.
“But with this said, it’s also crucial that industry stakeholders actively engage with regulators to ensure these frameworks are balanced, and avoid over-regulation.
“We’ve seen cases within Europe where overly restrictive measures have unintentionally pushed players toward the illicit market, where consumer protection is minimal or non-existent.
“I’m confident that regulators have the best intentions in mind. But we must ensure that regulation protects players without driving them away from the licensed environment.
“We need regulation. But we need it done the right way.
“When regulators, operators and technology providers work together, we can create frameworks that both safeguard consumers and maintain a healthy, compliant and competitive market.”
Editor’s Note:
Regulation is following a clear trajectory: Earlier detection, more structured intervention and demonstrable evidence of effective player protection – a move not only visible in Europe’s more mature markets, but also newly launching ones, like Brazil.
Yet a key challenge remains for operators, especially those without in-house expertise: Taking complex regulation and implementing it effectively. This is why Carl suggests that most operators benefit from partnering with compliance and safer gambling experts, like Mindway AI.
Carl sees behavioural data and AI as instrumental tools in moving away from a transactional approach, towards a more effective, evidence-based one, helping to protect players while demonstrating which strategies work – exactly what today’s regulatory environment requires.
Importantly, he expects regulators across all markets to move in this direction, making early investment in this area a strategic choice.
But he also cautions that regulation is a balancing act that requires the input of all industry stakeholders to avoid tipping into overregulation and incentivising offshore, unprotected play that exposes consumers to heightened risk.
