Rasha Abi Hana

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Gambling in Europe

Shared by Rasha Abi Hana (ISSUP staff) -
Originally posted by Rasha Abi Hana (ISSUP staff) -

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Europe‘s gambling market, reshaping consumer behaviour, market structure, and regulatory priorities. Restrictions on land-based venues and the cancellation of major sporting events accelerated a shift to digital platforms, raising public health concerns...

AddictologyIssue 4/2025
Catrin Brooks

what worries me most is not just the move from betting shops to apps, but how quickly casual habits could become private and harder to notice. niche casino-game listings like https://balloonrace.org/ , https://fishingtimegame.net/ fit into that wider move toward more specialized online gambling spaces, which makes oversight more complicated. regualtors in europe probably need to focus less on whether gambling is online or offline and more on affordability checks, advertising limits, and early signs of harm. the pandemic did not create these issues, but it made them much harder to ignore.