From Fragmentation to Integration: A Systematic Review of Cross-Jurisdictional Frameworks for Responsible Gaming and Gaming Disorder Prevention

The rapid expansion of the global gaming industry has intensified concern about Gaming Disorder (GD), creating a need for strategies that protect player well-being while remaining feasible for industry implementation. Using a PRISMA 2020-guided systematic review method, the study synthesised evidence from 40 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 on responsible gaming interventions implemented by game developers, platform operators, and digital storefronts. The review identified four main strategy clusters: structural design features, behavioural tools, monetisation controls, and regulatory measures. Across the literature, some interventions, including break reminders, spending controls, adaptive warnings, and design modifications that interrupt continuous play, showed potential to reduce excessive gaming and support self-regulation. However, effectiveness was often constrained by fragmented implementation, inconsistent evaluation, jurisdictional differences, and limited evidence from low- and middle-income settings. Digital storefronts were notably underexamined despite their growing influence on access and monetisation. The findings suggest that isolated technical or behavioural measures are unlikely to be sufficient on their own. In response, this review proposes the Integrated Responsible Gaming Strategy Framework (IRGSF), which brings together ethical design, behavioural support, socio-technical coordination, and stakeholder governance to guide more coherent and sustainable approaches to GD prevention.