Frontline Employees and Responsible Gambling: How Internal Communication Shapes Compliance with RG Rules

Responsible gambling (RG) has become a core compliance expectation for gambling operators, yet little is known about frontline employees’ compliance with RG rules in morally tense contexts. Drawing on social information processing theory, this study examines how company-to-employee RG communication about internal RG policies and procedures relates to employees’ compliance with RG rules. Specifically, it focuses on two forms of RG communication: company-issued RG reports and company-provided RG training. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 844 employees working at sports lottery outlets operated by a provincial company in Southwest China (48.5% male), and were analyzed using structural equation modeling with bootstrapped tests of indirect effects. The results show that greater awareness of the company’s RG report is associated with higher compliance with RG rules among employees (β = 0.194, p < 0.001), and more frequent RG training is also associated with higher compliance (β = 0.326, p < 0.001). Employees’ judgment about RG mediates the effects of both report awareness and training on compliance. Contrary to our expectations, RG communication is associated with lower moral disengagement, and in turn predicts better compliance. The indirect effects through moral disengagement are therefore positive. These findings suggest that clear and frequent communication about RG can support large-scale improvements in compliance among frontline staff.