A coalition of eight European states has intensified its coordination efforts to address the growing mental health risks associated with online gambling and gaming among children and young people.
On February 2, 2026, the Council of Europe hosted the fifth meeting of the TSI Advisory Group, bringing together regulators from Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, and Slovenia to share policy updates and legislative plans.
Addressing the Digital Addiction Crisis
The project, titled “Promoting the mental health of children and youth by addressing the risks of online gambling and gaming,” focuses on the rising prevalence of digital addiction.
Rather than attempting to impose a singular, uniform rulebook across the continent, the Advisory Group is working to help individual nations select and adapt the most effective measures for their unique regulatory systems.
Key Strategic Deliverables
During the session, the group reviewed three critical outputs from the project’s first phase:
- Situation Analysis: A comprehensive summary of how various countries currently respond to online gambling risks for youth.
- Good Practice Review: A curated list of international approaches that have proven effective in reducing harm.
- Communication Blueprint: A template for multi-national awareness campaigns targeted at families and younger demographics.
Bridging the Data Gap
A significant portion of the discussion centered on a new technical paper regarding data collection. Regulators identified data gaps as a major pressure point, as current tracking of youth exposure varies wildly between jurisdictions.
The group recommended a standardized set of harm indicators to ensure that policymakers have a consistent, evidence-based foundation for future decisions. By aligning these metrics, the coalition of European states hope to more accurately monitor the effectiveness of their prevention strategies throughout 2026 and beyond.
