SBC Americas - Player Protection Hub

Gambling harm highlighted in World Health Organization fact sheet

SBC AmericasDecember 6, 20240381 views

The World Health Organization (WHO) is addressing the rapid growth of regulated gambling.

The WHO has published a fact sheet detailing its latest research on global gambling and its impact on the well-being of patrons around the world. The sheet provides insights into how gambling impacts health leading to financial stress, mental illness and relationship issues.

The WHO has called for strict regulation and enforcement by regulators and operators as the industry continues to grow as new markets emerge and existing markets expand.

Global gambling revenue is projected to reach $700 billion by 2028, according to industry analysts. The WHO attributes the rapid growth of gambling to an uptick in sponsorships and marketing deals along with the commercialization and digitization of the industry.

The increase of gambling-focused marketing worldwide has impacted the health of bettors.

The WHO has determined that approximately 1.2% of the world’s adult population suffers from a gambling dis..

Yang: Sports betting ‘preys’ on men, increases risk of domestic violence

SBC AmericasDecember 5, 20240358 views

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang wrote in an op-ed this week that sports betting increases harms such as financial hardship and domestic violence. The ex-New York City mayoral candidate called for the U.S. to rethink regulation of online sports wagering.

Writing for Newsweek, Yang noted that he bets on sports himself after being “enticed” by a promotional offer for new customers. However, he wished he didn’t and he wants to see regulation and expansion of sports wagering reconsidered, for various reasons.

“I would love to see the regulation on this issue rethought,” wrote Yang. “… The facts are clear. Online sports betting is the equivalent of a new tax on Americans that preys upon vulnerable, low-income men in particular. It increases financial stresses and emotional problems. It’s not what your citizens need.”

Ultimately, he advised any states that may be considering legalizing online sports betting to consider the consequences carefully.

“Betting on sports on..

NCLGS recommends banning credit card payments in iGaming

SBC AmericasDecember 2, 20240321 views

The draft model online gaming legislation published by the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) suggests a notable revamp in the way states look to protect players.

As well as recommending significant benchmarks for iGaming in the U.S. including a tax rate of 15-25% and fast-tracked approval for existing sports betting licensees, the NCLGS’ ideal legislative framework put forth a range of player protection measures.

One of the measures the legislators propose is that state lawmakers mandate the creation of a player health program to increase public awareness of problem gambling, promote responsible gaming and provide services for problem gambling prevention, treatment and recovery services.

Under the NCLGS’ proposal, state player health programs would be developed and administered by each state’s regulatory body and may encompass duties such as:

Developing and implementing problem gambling public awareness campaigns

Developing and implementing treatment prog..

Kindbridge and Mindway AI partner to help at-risk gamblers

SBC AmericasNovember 25, 20240286 views

Kindbridge Behavioral Health is combining its mental health and problem gambling expertise with Mindway AI‘s technology capabilities in a bid to help to identify and support at-risk gamblers.

Danish company Mindway AI’s data and technology identifies gamblers at risk, and the new partnership will connect those individuals with Kindbridge’s telehealth services to ensure they get mental health support.

Kindbridge Founder and CEO Daniel Umfleet noted that Mindway AI offers the ability to detect behavioral triggers and risk patterns and combine them into a player risk score that provides a useful tool for predicting harm to gamblers. By using this approach, Kindbridge can intervene earlier as needed and deliver timely and effective support that is tailored to specific players’ habits and needs.

“This collaboration brings together Mindway AI’s cutting-edge detection technology with Kindbridge’s expertise in telehealth services to create a robust pipeline for identifying and supporting at..

Report: NCAA athlete under federal investigation over irregular betting

SBC AmericasNovember 22, 20240298 views

An NCAA student-athlete is reportedly under federal investigation for allegedly manipulating the outcome of games and wagering on his own team.

According to an ESPN report, former Temple University men’s basketball player Hysier Miller is being investigated by federal authorities following irregular betting activity ahead of a March contest. The game was against the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Prior to tip-off, U.S. Integrity received alerts from multiple operators regarding irregular line movement and suspicious betting patterns. The irregular line movement saw the point spread change by six points, a drastic and unusual line movement for college basketball.

As a result of the irregularities, several operators stopped taking action on the game.

The line moved from -2 in favor of UAB to -8 hours before the contest. UAB would go on to win the game 100-72. Miller finished the contest with eight points and one rebound.

During the 2024 American Athletic Conference tournament ..

Delaware North partners with Birches Health to provide RG resources

SBC AmericasNovember 21, 20240355 views

Delaware North is working to provide responsible gaming resources through a new partnership.

The entertainment and entertainment company has agreed to a strategic partnership with Birches Health, a provider of RG resources and specialized problem gambling therapy. As part of the deal, Delaware North will leverage its online gaming products to provide Birches Health’s resources and referral system to consumers. The gaming products that will offer Birches Health’s resources include Betly Sportsbook and Betly Casino & Sportsbook.

The resources will be available in Tennessee, Arkansas, Ohio and West Virginia.

“Delaware North is committed to promoting and encouraging responsible gaming and offering users informational resources to support and identify problem gambling, as well as promoting intelligent tools that allow players to set deposit, loss, session time and money-spent limits,” said Delaware North Chief Interactive Gaming Officer Lee Terfloth. “These new resources from Birches Hea..

ROGA names inaugural Advisory Committee to drive RG progress

SBC AmericasNovember 13, 20240332 views

The Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) has formed an advisory committee that it says will play an important role in its mission to drive evidence-based responsible gaming best practices for the U.S. gaming industry.

ROGA is an independent trade association formed earlier this year. It consists of eight major U.S. online gaming companies: Bally’s, bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital and PENN Entertainment.

The newly formed advisory committee is made up of members selected based on their outstanding achievements, strong reputation and experience in the responsible gaming field.

The committee will advise members and the wider industry and provide insight on topics such as industry and regulatory concerns, best practices, consumer behavior, research developments and the impact of new and existing technology. It will provide vital insight as ROGA develops its priority initiatives, including the creation of an independent data cle..

SBC Digital – Player Protection to delve into key RG issues

SBC AmericasNovember 11, 20240329 views

A lineup of experts will discuss the key topics surrounding the player protection space in the SBC Digital – Player Protection online conference, presented in partnership with Vixio Regulatory Intelligence, this Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Taking place before Safer Gambling Week 2024, SBC Digital – Player Protection will kick off with a special presentation from lead sponsors Vixio Regulatory Intelligence. Vixio View: Global Player Protection Policy Trends will feature Vixio’s Chief Analyst and VP Americas, James Kilsby, discussing key regulatory trends on responsible gambling in Europe, North America, Brazil and beyond, and focusing on affordability, monitoring and intervention.

This will be followed by a fascinating discussion on whether operator focus on player protection can increase shareholder value. Evoke’s Head of Player Safety, Yardena Almagor, will be joined by leading industry consultant Peter Marcus, founder & CEO of Better World Casinos, Floris Assies, and gambling lawyer Andy ..

The two-way street between operators and regulators

SBC AmericasNovember 5, 20240305 views

Even after hearing that no other operators were coming to the first Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) roundtable on limiting bettors, COO for Bally’s North America Interactive Brett Calaap told his staff there was no way they weren’t attending.

“I very, very much, told our team we’re coming to this meeting. And they were all like, ‘Oh, no one else is showing up.’ We’ve talked to our friends. They’re all going to bail at the last second/ And I was like, ‘Absolutely not. We’re not bailing on this.’ Now we have the power to choose what we share and what we don’t share, but not showing up to something isn’t acceptable at all, from my perspective,” Calaap said as part of a panel at SBC Summit Lisbon earlier this year.

Regulators need to lead the way for operators

Other panelists agreed with Calaap, including Princeton Public Affairs Group Partner Bill Pascrell III and Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (ROGA) President George Rover. Both of them agreed that on their home turf..

New Lancet report criticizes industry’s influence on PG research

SBC AmericasOctober 29, 20240336 views

A new report from the medical journal The Lancet takes a deep dive into the topic of problem gambling and its conclusions point a lot of fingers towards the gambling industry.

The Oct. 24 commission consulted experts across a range of disciplines and read and analyzed a wealth of material, including 299 different prevalence studies before releasing its findings.

“This Lancet Public Health Commission should mark the beginning of a serious and sustained effort to apply public health logic as countries and communities respond to the rapidly increasing threat of gambling harms,” the report read. “We acknowledge that implementing these recommendations might take time, will not be easy, and will require sustained effort and cooperation from multiple international actors. We hope to establish a clear direction for future action that will lead to effective policy design and implementation.”

Lancet concerned regulators and researchers too close to operators

The commission concluded that the..