1xBet Urges Unified Global Standards for Player Protection
International betting operator 1xBet is raising fresh concerns about a growing issue in global gambling regulation: while authorities insist player safety is a top priority, operators are being forced to navigate a patchwork of conflicting rules that make compliance unnecessarily difficult.
Drawing on insights from its International Player Safety Index: Western Europe, the company found that although nearly two-thirds of operators view player protection as essential, many are dissatisfied with regulatory guidance. According to the report, 42% of operators feel regulator instructions are inadequate, while 26% say they struggle to assess the quality of that guidance altogether.
These findings will take center stage at SBC’s Player Protection Day on 12 November, where 1xBet Strategic Advisor Simon Westbury will discuss the research produced in collaboration with SBC Media.
“This isn’t about pointing fingers it’s about collaborating on solutions,” Westbury said. “Both operators and regulators want a safe, sustainable marketplace. The difficulty lies in turning shared goals into consistent standards.”
A Patchwork of Rules Across Markets
The online gambling sector continues to grapple with fragmented national regulations. Operators active in multiple markets often face entirely different compliance demands, resulting in inefficiencies, uncertainty and rising operational costs.
Europe exemplifies the challenge. Advertising bans vary dramatically: the Netherlands, Italy and Spain prohibit gambling ads altogether, Germany enforces strict but structured rules, while the UK maintains a flexible system that is frequently updated and sometimes ambiguous.
The black market further complicates matters. Regulators caution that overly restrictive rules risk pushing players toward illegal operators, yet large international brands are still frequently blamed for enabling unlicensed activity despite working within the law.
Industry Calls for Action
According to 1xBet, the issues are clear: inconsistent regulations, insufficient communication between regulators and operators and a lack of common metrics for evaluating responsible gambling success.
To address this, the company outlines several priority actions:
Introducing harmonized protection triggers and uniform financial risk assessments.
Supporting multi-operator intervention tools and unified benchmarks.
Deploying thoroughly tested AI systems for behavioural monitoring.
Improving data-sharing and transparency between regulators and licensed operators.
“At 1xBet, we believe player protection must be embedded into the system, not added later,” Westbury said. “That requires early regulator engagement, consistent frameworks and guidance that operators can apply across markets. With transparency and open dialogue, we can build systems that genuinely safeguard players without driving them offshore.”
As global debate intensifies over gambling responsibility and regulatory reform, 1xBet’s call for clearer, unified standards underscores a key message: durable, meaningful player protection depends on cooperation, not complexity.
