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Daily fantasy sports group Underdog is beefing up its responsible gambling efforts on several fronts, including the launch of a new $1 million investment fund, GuardDog.

The fund will serve as an “investment initiative” with a focus on fostering tech innovations in the responsible gambling space. In addition to providing financial investment, GuardDog will also offer mentorship and consultation from the following individuals:

Adam Warrington, former vice president of Responsible Gaming at FanDuel

Chris Grove, partner at Acies Investments

Dan Hartman, former director of the Colorado Division of Gaming

Sara Tait, former executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission

In addition to being involved with GuardDog, Warrington is also coming on board as a consultant for Underdog on responsible gambling. Companies receiving GuardDog funding will also be provided access to mentors including renowned responsible gaming advocate, Brianne Doura-Schawohl.

“I’m incredibly excited to partn..

The rate of high-risk problem gambling activity in New Jersey is around three times higher than the national average, according to new research.

Research funded by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has shown that high-risk problem gambling rates have fallen from 6.3% in 2017 to 5.6% in 2021.

However, this means that New Jersey’s problem gambling rate is around three times larger than the national average in the US. New Jersey is one of the more mature gambling markets in the US with its online casino sector opening in 2013 and sports betting going live in 2018.

The research, titled “The Prevalence of Online and Land-Based Gambling in New Jersey”, was led by Dr. Lia Nower, J.D., Ph.D. from the Rutgers University School of Social Work, Center for Gambling Studies and found that low/mid-risk gambling rates decreased from around 15% in 2017 to 13% in 2021.

“New Jersey has led the nation in evaluating every bet placed online and addressing the impact of wagering on its re..

The West Virginia Lottery Commission has fined sports betting operator Gamewise $7,000 for emailing customers who had self-excluded from marketing material and its platform.

The operator runs online and mobile sports betting for the Wheeling Island Casino and is reported to have sent out promotional material to 70 self-excluded customers being fined $100 per violation as a result.

Though Gamewise self-reported the incident to the commission, it was over a month after the material was sent when the operator notified the regulator of the breach of rules.

Courtesy of WVMetroNews, the State Lottery Director John Myles stated: “It was 45 days before they found out, so we kind of frown on that as well. While it was a programming error–it wasn’t something they did intentionally–we need to show that West Virginia takes those types of things seriously. Because if people have a gaming problem, we want to make sure they are protected.”

The self-exclusion scheme in West Virginia allows peop..

DraftKings came to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) this week hoping to be granted an exception on the state’s new regulation involving logo displays at major sports arenas. It came away from Thursday’s meeting with no exception and a clear expectation from the commissioners that logos at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, and TD Garden will need to change.

That could be a very costly endeavor for DraftKings.

DraftKings says TD Garden update will cost “several hundred thousand”

In its waiver application, DraftKings claimed that updating the embedded logo on the wooden floor of the Boston Celtics basketball court at TD Arena would be prohibitively expensive, stating, “the projected cost to update this asset is several hundred thousand dollars, which would be a substantial hardship.”

The operator also argued that the umbrella DraftKings brand is designed to encompass products beyond just sports betting, including DFS, DK Horse, and DK Network. In fact, the embedded logo in the c..

Four University of Iowa players have been fined $645 after pleading guilty to underage sports betting, a criminal offence in the state.

Three footballers and one basketball player were fined by the state court this week following several athletes receiving a similar punishment earlier this month.

Arland Bruce, Reggie Bracy, Jack Johnson and Ahron Ulis will all pay a fine of $645 for sports wagering under the legal age of 21.

Earlier this month, Hunter Dekkers, Jake Remsburg, former Iowa State player Dodge Sauser, and former Iowa athletes Aaron Blom and Gehrig Christensen were all fined the same amount after admitting betting on sports illegally.

The Iowa sports betting scandal has rumbled under the surface for much of 2023, with as many as 50 players being investigated for betting-related offenses.

In more serious cases, Denver Bronco and Iowa State alum Eyioma Uwazurike and Iowa State wrestler Paniro Johnson are being charged with felony identity theft. Both have denied the ..

Six-time golf major champion Phil Mickelson has described his gambling addiction as a “hurricane” that waves over his life, and warned bettors to not “cross the line of moderation and enter into addiction” this football campaign.

The NFL season launch is undoubtedly one of the most popular periods in the US sporting – and by natural extension sports betting – calendars. Sportsbooks spend months preparing marketing campaigns, new products and bonus offers for players to ensure they grab as many new players as possible ahead of the big kick off.

But while many players use this period for recreational and entertainment purposes, for some the NFL season kick off can be a time when temptation is at its highest and those who suffer with gambling addictions can struggle.

Mickelson, who has won the Masters three times as well as two PGA Championships and one Open Championship, took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to open up on his gambling addiction and warn others.

He wrote: “Most o..

In the realm of sports betting and iGaming, ensuring responsible gaming (RG) and steadfast compliance isn’t just a necessity—it’s an ethos. Jess Feil, VP of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance at OpenBet, has navigated the intricacies of regulatory affairs and compliance for several years, and certain strategies have emerged essential for operators.

She shares five approaches she believes can significantly sharpen an operator’s stance on RG and compliance.

1. Research and data must be a guiding light

Quality research that’s driven by independent parties with verifiable methods must be the foundation of our efforts. It’s not just about implementing best practices—it’s about understanding the rationale behind them.

For example, Dr. Michael Auer and Andreas Schneeberger have more than 15 years of unparalleled experience in developing software and services tailored for the industry, based on research that is peer-reviewed and published in reputable, academic journals. It is great that th..

FanDuel has announced soccer star Carli Lloyd and PGA Tour golfer Tom Kim as the latest additions to its responsible gaming ambassador program.

Marking Responsible Gaming Education Month, FanDuel has widened its ambassador program by adding two new names to the roster that also includes Craig Carton.

Lloyd, a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner, enjoyed an illustrious career in US soccer and scored 134 for the USWNT during her 16-year international career. She will join FanDuel to help raise awareness of responsible gaming tools available to players on the app.

“I am excited to be joining the FanDuel team as a Responsible Gaming Ambassador,” said Lloyd. “As sports gambling continues to become more accessible, I think it is critical fans adopt a mindset that gambling is supposed to be a form of entertainment and that tools are available to them within the FanDuel Sportsbook app to stay in control of the way they play. I’m eager to help my fellow ambassadors spread the word on t..

Epic Risk Management is tapping a new VP with experience both as an operator and a regulator. The company named Teresa Fiore the new VP of Partnerships for the company.

Fiore will use her knowledge and experience to manage the firm’s key partnerships and deliver on the company’s goal of reducing harm for bettors and athletes. Some of the partnerships under Fiore’s purview include the NFLPA’s Professional Athletes Foundation, the MLS Players Association, and the NCAA. Her focus will be primarily on the US and Canadian markets.

“This appointment is a key marker of the expansion that EPIC continues to make within the US,” explained Epic Risk Management CEO Paul Buck. “We’re delighted to bring Teresa’s extensive knowledge and vital experience into our organization and value the perspective that she can bring from both a regulatory and industry angle.”

Fiore’s background includes five years with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) as the manager of the research and responsible gami..

More than half of sports bettors have seen an increase in responsible gaming messaging over the past year, according to data revealed by the American Gaming Association (AGA).

The data has been released to underline the AGA’s commitment to Responsible Gambling Awareness Month (RGEM) 2023, which marks the industry’s 25th annual celebration of responsible gaming in September.

The new consumer survey data was conducted online by YouGov on behalf of the AGA, and took place from Aug. 3-10 among a nationally representative sample of 2,018 Americans aged 21 and over.

As well as 53% of sports bettors noting a rise in RG messaging, 91% are aware of at least one RG resource, with the figure dropping to 84% for past-year gamblers in general.

“Our industry’s success is based on earning customer trust, providing safeguards for responsible gaming, and implementing tools that our customers engage to bet responsibly,” said AGA Vice President, Responsibility, Cait DeBaun.

“Today’s data shows our u..