Civil society as a subject and object of implementing the principle of combating gambling addiction (ludomania)

The article examines the role of society in the mechanism of public management of the gambling business. It is established that it is both an object and a subject of implementing the principle of combating gambling addiction, which is one of the principles of public management of the gambling business market. Society as a subject empowers the state to ensure the implementation of its public interest. Society as an object of administrative and legal support is the goal of ensuring this principle, because protecting society from the negative consequences of the functioning of the gambling business as a harmful type of activity is a component of the principle of combating gambling addiction. Civil society, when participating in ensuring the implementation of the principle of protection against gambling addiction, combines both private and public interests, because the private interests of a particular player as a member of society are to create conditions for minimizing the risks of developing gambling addiction in him. Society as a subject of implementing the specified principle usually acts not directly (through elections, referendums, public meetings), but indirectly through various legislative opportunities for representatives of civil society. It acts through its representatives by submitting electronic petitions to the President of Ukraine. It was such a petition last year that significantly influenced the state’s policy on gambling addiction. Society also influences through the activities of the Consultative and Expert Council under the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, as well as through public organizations. The activities of public organizations in Ukraine to combat gambling addiction are underdeveloped due to the lack of funding, which requires amendments to the legislation and the targeted allocation of funds from licenses in the field of organizing and conducting gambling specifically for measures to prevent gambling addiction. The disadvantage is that society cannot influence the gambling business at the community level through the powers of local government bodies, and therefore it is important to give communities the right to decide whether to allow gambling establishments in their community.