"Gambling responsibly" (applied to a person in harm) → safer gambling / consumer protection

Stigma-preferred language

Definition

The phrase shifts responsibility onto the individual and away from product design, and it implies that the person experiencing harm was the irresponsible one.

Preferred phrasing

safer gambling · harm reduction · consumer protections. Keep "responsible gambling" only when naming an operator's or regulator's own program by its actual name.

Source

Primary source for this whole section: https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/ Supporting: https://pttcnetwork.org/non-stigmatizing-language/ · https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/person-first-language-heroin-use-disorder/

Cite this

Betttr. ""Gambling responsibly" (applied to a person in harm) → safer gambling / consumer protection." The Gambling Recovery Glossary. https://betttr.net/glossary/gambling-responsibly/ (accessed 2026-09-20).

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net