SBC Americas

Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MCG) Chair Catherine Judd-Stein has expressed her concern that there is a low take up of responsible gambling tools from consumers in the state.

Judd-Stein raised these concerns as operators reported their Q3 report to the commission, updating the regulator on its revenue and approach to other initiatives such as DEI, RG and lottery engagement.

When DraftKings reported that fewer than 0.1% of users were using time limits, 2.3% used deposit limits, 0.13% used spending limits and 0.4% used wager limits, the regulatory Chairwoman was not happy and requested the operator work to improve those figures.

Judd-Stein pleaded: “Our Director of Research of Responsible Gaming has been concerned that the patrons just are not utilizing them.

“I really thank you for this slide because it speaks to that. Right. We can all think, collectively, as we move forward, how can we get our consumers in Massachusetts to really take advantage of these tools, and the only ..

When thinking about player protection, orthodoxical thinking may err towards preventing players from using gaming platforms. After all, therein the game lies potential dangers for the player.

But Dr. Mary Donohue, CEO of the Digital Wellness Center, has other ideas. She has developed a new platform titled MyStride Positive Play, a gamification tool to help rebalance the dopamine levels in players’ brains to prevent risky betting patterns.

The tool, to be integrated into betting and casino apps, interrupts a player’s gaming activity to provide another game that is not tied to real money, in a bid to rebalance the player’s dopamine levels.

Dr. Donohue, who works out of Toronto, knows all too much about how problem gambling can impact victim’s – and their family’s – lives.

Speaking with SBC Media on the Player Protection Day series of webinars, Donohue outlined how the inspiration for the MyStride Positive Play platform came from a painful experience too close to home.

“I observ..

The New York State Gaming Commission has announced the formation of a voluntary self-exclusion register to protect players across the state.

Developed in association with the Responsible Play Partnership, the New York Council on Problem Gambling and the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the self-exclusion program will allow players to ban themselves from any gambling activity.

Those placed on the register will be barred from all gaming establishments across the state and from gambling on any platform including sportsbooks.

NYCPG Executive Director James Maney said: “Assisting those in need of help through providing care and concern is at the core of what NYCPG does, and the launch of this new program exemplifies that care and concern by breaking down barriers.

“The new online notary services make it easier for individuals to complete remote VSE, while also connecting to one of our caring staff members who are knowledgeable about the process.”

The state ..

A trio of major leagues are uniting together for the release of a new responsible gambling campaign targeted at US bettors.

The NHL, NBA, and MLB released a new commercial spot on Tuesday that will debut during the NBA In-Season Tournament match-up between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday evening at 7:30pm ET.

Titled “Never Know What’s Next”, the spot was made in cooperation with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) as well as operators DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, and ESPN Bet.

“Working with our fellow sports leagues, gaming operator partners, and responsible gaming partners gives added weight – particularly for young bettors – to this shared priority of making an impact on responsible gaming education across the United States,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA Senior Vice President Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures.  “Ensuring fans are aware of the inherent risk if they choose to bet and correcting the misconception that betting on sports..

As Penn Entertainment gets ready to push the launch button on ESPN BET, the network is ensuring that it becomes a thought leader in responsible gaming by partnering with UNLV on RG research.

Under the terms of the agreement, ESPN will be the founding donor of a new body of UNLV research that will leverage the knowledge of the International Gaming Institute to develop a program to support responsible gaming policies.

The study seeks to develop a program dedicated to researching, educating people and advising companies on sports betting and the intersection that it has with media companies. This is particularly important as ESPN’s brand is the face of Penn Entertainment’s re-launched sportsbook.

“We are thrilled to have ESPN’s support for research, education, and innovation in the responsible, sustainable representation of sports betting in the media,” commented Brett Abarbanel, IGI Executive Director.

“The growth of betting and gambling subjects in US media have exploded in the ..

According to an announcement from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), PointsBet allowed a Canadian customer to lose CA$500,000 in the span of three months with no interventions from the operator.

The AGCO has levied a fine of CA$150,000 for the operator allegedly responsible gambling violations, which include several infractions related to the user.

Per the AGCO report, PointsBet had flagged the customer as high-risk after a series of canceled withdrawals but the operator did not intervene and offer help or RG services.

Moreover, PointsBet did not require the customer to sit out the mandated 24-hour cool-off period when they removed the per-day deposit limits from their account.

The player also did not give explicit consent to be directly marketed to, however, PointsBet served the user with $35,500 in free play credits and also offered up tickets to sporting events for their loyalty.

“In Ontario, igaming operators have an obligation to proactively monitor their pa..

A new group of US gambling affiliates is essentially banding together to become The Avengers of responsible gambling.

The new group is called the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association. It consists of the following six affiliate groups:

Better Collective
Catena Media
Gambling.com Group
Oddschecker
Spotlight Sports Group
XL Media

Arguably the six biggest affiliates in the country, the group is uniting to promote elevated standards of advertising that are sensitive to best practices when it comes to online gambling advertising.

“We are committed to doing everything possible to help empower our industry to promote gambling as entertainment and enable our customers to enjoy our products and services responsibly. Having the industry come together with a unified approach to creating standards and guidelines puts the best interests of our consumers, customers, and their families at the forefront. Not only is this the right thing to do for our customers, it’s the best thing to ensure t..

This week the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) announced the latest recipients of the group’s agility grants. This round doled out $176,000 to groups dedicated to problem gambling programs and research.

The list of recipients this round is:

The Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling Prevention (ACCG)
The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado
AdCare Educational Institute of Maine
THe LCADA Way
Maryland Council on Problem Gambling

“Through agility grant funding, we aim to foster dynamic and responsive problem gambling prevention programs, helping to ensure that communities across the country are equipped to address this critical need with flexibility and innovation,” said Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director. “Each recipient receiving support this round displayed exemplary commitment to cultural competence, tailoring their approaches with sensitivity to the diverse needs of the populations they serve.”

The NCPG agility grant program is funded through a multimillion-dollar..

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has issued three fines totaling $73,000 for social responsibility failings from its licensees.

Stadium Casino Westmoreland RE, LLC, operator of Live! Casino Pittsburgh, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Inc, operator of Parx Casino have all been fined by the regulator.

Live! Casino Pittsburgh received the largest fine at $30,000 after the casino was deemed to have allowed two self-excluded players to enter the gaming floor and gamble. Meanwhile, the casino allowed a person under the age of 21 to play slot machines.

Parx Casino was handed a $18,075 fine for a failure to submit two license renewal applications on time, while Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores was fined $25,000 for not providing the PGCB with ownership structure changes involving its five VGT truck stop establishment locations.

The PGCB stated: “The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved four consent agreements today presented by ..