North America

The Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) is collaborating with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to establish a new standard in the industry.

On Tuesday, ROGA and the RGC announced a partnership to launch a certification program for online operators in the U.S. The certification creates a new industry benchmark through an evaluation of self-exclusion and player support tools. Staff training is also evaluated during the certification process designed to bolster RG programs and practices.

The certification identifies operators that go beyond state and regulatory standards.

“A sustainable online gaming industry must be built on evidence-based best practices, and this partnership with RGC will advance this mission by building a trusted and independent assessment to certify robust responsible gaming standards,” said ROGA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley.

ROGA members will undergo evaluation for the certification with the group accounting for roughly 90% of the legal ..

DraftKings is launching a sweepstakes competition offering customers the chance to win NFL tickets by engaging with tools like My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet. The competition has been launched to coincide with the start of the NFL season and Responsible Gaming Education Month (RGEM) in the US. DraftKings Chief Responsible Gaming Officer Lori…

DraftKings is making a major change to its payment processing rules.

The Boston-based sports betting and daily fantasy giant announced on Thursday plans to no longer accept credit card deposits for its sportsbook and casino operations in the U.S.

Starting Aug. 25, DraftKings customers will no longer be able to use credit cards as a method of payment as the company aims to help customers “avoid cash advance fees and higher interest rates” associated with credit card funding. DraftKings believes the change will improve the user experience for customers while also providing a layer of protection.

Customers who have previously used credit cards to fund their DraftKings accounts will have their stored credit cards disabled for funding with the operator later this month.

“DraftKings has made the strategic business decision to remove credit cards as a deposit option for sportsbook and casino in the United States,” a DraftKings spokesperson told SBC Americas. “Customers can still fund thei..

A joint subcommittee in Virginia is weighing whether or not to establish a regulatory agency designed specifically for gaming as the state also considers adding new verticals.

Virginia lawmakers created a joint committee in 2023 to study the feasibility of establishing the Virginia Gaming Commission, which would oversee regulated sports wagering and other forms of commercial gaming. Currently, state-sanctioned sports betting and casino gaming is regulated by the Virginia Lottery. Lawmakers established a joint subcommittee to consider a regulatory body for non-lottery gaming in the wake of concerns regarding the Virginia Lottery’s ability to comprehensively regulate multiple verticals.

“The Virginia Gaming Commission is a step we need to preserve the good, address challenges and build a fair, accountable and prosperous gaming industry for everyone in the Commonwealth,” Del. Paul Krizek told joint subcommittee members on Tuesday.

Virginia’s regulation model for gaming

Under active Vi..

The license-holder of the national problem gambling support hotline 1-800-GAMBLER says it will reject the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) attempts to move the ongoing dispute to arbitration.

The NCPG told SBC Americas and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) on Aug. 13 that it has filed a request with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) amid an ongoing dispute between the two organizations.

On Aug. 14, the CCGNJ told SBC Americas it will reject the request, calling it invalid and vowing to continue running the resource across the U.S. without the NCPG’s involvement.

Two councils, one hotline

Per the CCGNJ, the New Jersey organization has operated 1-800-GAMBLER nationally since 1983. In the last few years, the NCPG has been running it via a license agreement with the CCGNJ for an annual fee of $150,000. However, since a three-year agreement expired in May of this year, the future of the national resource has been thrown into doubt.

In court do..

A college quarterback is responding to allegations of impermissible sports wagering.

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is facing backlash after screenshots of his personal Venmo account were shared with several transactions mentioning sports gambling.

The two transactions were both made in November 2022 while Mateer was a student-athlete at Washington State. One of the transactions had a description mentioning a game between USC and UCLA. In a statement, Mateer denied any wrongdoing as the NCAA bans wagering by players, coaches and team officials on all competitions sponsored by the organization. NCAA guidelines stipulate student-athletes who place bets on their teams or on any sport at their institution could face permanent loss of eligibility.

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” said Mateer in the statement. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question, but were instead inside jokes between me and my fr..