Online gambling has become easier to access in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the government’s decision to introduce a formal regulatory framework for the industry.
Many local citizens now use the UAE casino sites comparison on Haztayeb to find platforms that offer a wide range of games and prioritise player protection.
However, that convenience has created new challenges for gambling regulators, especially in identifying players whose habits may be becoming harmful.
A new research project from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) could give regulators a more independent way to deal with that challenge.
Researchers have developed a free, open-source algorithm that examines real player behaviour and estimates the risk level associated with different gambling patterns.
Its code, methodology and model have been made publicly available, allowing regulators and other researchers to examine how it works and use it as an independent reference point.
A New Independent Tool for Measuring Gambling Risk
The primary idea behind the new algorithm is to give regulators an independent way of examining player behaviour rather than taking gambling operators at their word.
Gambling companies already collect plenty of information about how their customers use their platforms.
Everything from wagers, deposits, game sessions, withdrawals, losing and winning streaks is documented, and this data says a lot about customer behaviour and gambling habits.
These companies use this data for different reasons, including marketing and customer management.
However, researchers behind the Dutch project believe the same information can also be used to identify signs that a player may be moving towards harmful gambling.
Once collected, the data is used to calculate a risk score, which helps regulators understand which gambling behaviour is risky and how operators respond.
If a casino gives one of its customers a low-risk score, but the algorithm identifies a much higher level of concern, regulators will be inclined to investigate how the company reached its conclusion.
The Dutch gambling regulator plans to use the tool as part of its investigation into whether gambling companies are taking the necessary precautions to protect players.
The algorithm won’t make decisions about individual players on its own, but regulators will have proof of whether or not operators are taking their responsibilities seriously.
How the GCGRA Could Use the Algorithm on UAE Casino Apps
The new algorithm could also be useful to the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) as the UAE's regulated online gaming market develops.
The GCGRA already requires operators in the UAE to have player protection measures in place, including deposit limits, cooling-off periods, self-exclusion and other tools that allow players to monitor their own behaviour.
It also wants operators to use research, data and technology to identify potentially harmful behaviour, so the proposed algorithm could bolster the GCGRA’s oversight.
An independent risk-scoring model could provide the GCGRA with another way to monitor how players behave across licensed internet gaming platforms.
The GCGRA regulates internet gaming conducted through websites, mobile phones and other digital devices, including casino games such as slots, roulette, blackjack and baccarat.
Instead of using the algorithm to make decisions about players, the GCGRA could use it as a regulatory benchmark.
Licensed operators could provide relevant, appropriately protected betting data, allowing the regulator to run an independent assessment of player behaviour.
They could use patterns such as frequent sessions, unusual late-night activity, increasing deposits or changes after huge losses to determine a player’s risk score.
They can then compare that score with the operator’s assessment. If there’s a notable difference between the two results, the discrepancy could give them the green light to investigate.
Two Years of Gambling Data Behind the Model
Researchers developed the algorithm using a large amount of real-world data. They looked at every bet made by players at 13 Dutch online casinos over two years, from July 2023 to July 2025.
The data was made available because Dutch gambling legislation requires online casino operators to provide user information for independent research.
That gave the researchers an unusually detailed picture of how people actually gamble online.
Charles de Leau, a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, became the first person to use this provision for a project of this kind.
Working with UvA professors Reinout Wiers from Psychology and Johan Bollen from Computer Science, De Leau developed the model using a huge collection of betting records.
The researchers say the volume of the data allowed them to identify patterns that may be difficult to see when studying smaller groups of players.
They believe the data can reveal important information about what happens before gambling becomes a serious problem.
They don’t have to wait until a player is going through personal difficulties or major financial issues to identify behaviour that indicates increasing risk at an earlier stage.
That changes the overall outlook on responsible gambling, considering player protection usually includes measures such as age verification, spending limits and self-exclusion.
Those factors are still important, but online gambling has grown to a point where regulators can now examine player behaviour on a much larger scale.
