SBC Americas

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is continuing to invest in the development of initiatives to protect players from problem gambling.

The NCPG announced that it will be distributing $192,000 in grants between five organizations to support community-based problem gambling prevention. The council awarded the grants through its Agility Grant program, which provides financial support to nonprofits to develop and provide problem gambling prevention initiatives. The NCPG’s Agility Grant program, launched in 2022, is funded by the NFL Foundation and FanDuel.

“The NFL is proud to continue supporting the NCPG and the Agility Grants program, which provides critical funding to organizations leading innovative efforts aimed at preventing problem gambling,” said NFL SVP of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson. “We are pleased to see both new and returning grantees advancing creative approaches to education and early intervention, particularly for youth and young adults.”

The organiz..

The UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI) is taking steps to understand the impact of machine learning and AI on America’s online gambling industry.

The IGI has launched AiR Hub, an AI-focused initiative for researching the impacts and risks of AI while also fostering collaboration between key stakeholders in the gambling industry. AiR Hub has launched under the direction of IGI Director of Research Kasra Ghaharian and gambling industry veteran and AiR Hub adjunct fellow Simo Dragicevic.

“UNLV’s International Gaming Institute has a long history of pioneering research in the gaming sector, and we are excited to launch AiR Hub as the next step in that journey,” said Ghaharian. “Our vision is to create tangible progress through collaborative, actionable research with engagement across a range of stakeholders, including regulators, academics, non-profit organizations, and industry.”

AiR Hub has debuted as gambling experts prepare to analyze the State of AI in Gaming, an industry-fir..

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has agreed to another multimillion-dollar settlement with a major Las Vegas casino and entertainment property.

Wynn Las Vegas reached a proposed $5.5 million stipulation for settlement with the NGCB for violating its own anti-money laundering (AML) compliance program. The casino agreed to a settlement after a disciplinary complaint was filed contemporaneously with the stipulation for settlement. The complaint detailed “unsuitable methods of operation” by Wynn Las Vegas related to facilitating improper international monetary transactions, allowing proxy betting and being tied to unregistered money transmitting businesses.

Wynn Las Vegas is set to be fined by the NGCB after reaching a non-prosecution agreement in 2024 with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

The non-prosecution agreement concerns the same AML violations by Wynn Las Vegas that resulted in the casino forfeiting $130 million to federal authorities to ..

EPIC Global Solutions has landed a deal to provide gambling harm awareness training to Underdog employees.

The gambling harm consultancy partnered with Underdog to host a series of workshops and training sessions to provide employees with the tools to identify problematic gambling behavior. Underdog has already leveraged EPIC’s expertise in gambling harm by hosting sessions led by EPIC staff. The sessions provided Underdog employees with training on communication practices and how to build healthy relationships with customers.

“We’re very pleased with the positive start to our working relationship with Underdog,” said EPIC VP of North America Teresa Fiore. “They have a deep understanding that responsible gaming practices must be at the core for any major operator, and it’s a constant and consistent process of learning and attentiveness.”

EPIC provided Underdog with training sessions that included consultant and former college basketball star Stevin “Hedake” Smith. The former Arizona..

The NCAA is considering a change of stance regarding its rules related to gambling.

According to a Sports Illustrated report, the NCAA is discussing the removal of its ban on wagering on professional sports. Last month, the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors proposed the rule change leading to the organization’s DI Council to consider the matter.

The board of directors voted 21-1 in favor of adopting bylaws to lift the ban.

The DI Council is planning to discuss the ban removal next week with a potential implementation of the rule change coming as soon as June 2025. The NCAA’s active bylaws regarding sports wagering prohibit betting by all players, coaches and team officials on pro sports that are also played at the collegiate level. The NCAA also bans wagering by players, coaches and team officials on all competitions sponsored by the organization.

The NCAA plans to maintain its current ban on college sports wagering as America’s governing body of amateur sports considers allowin..

BetRivers operator Rush Street Interactive has partnered with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) to launch a program designed to help educators improve high-school students’ gaming literacy.

The new initiative, titled Gaming Literacy Aiding Decisions (GLAD), aims to not only help teenagers understand online gambling better but also promote their responsible relationship with what RSI and IC360 note is an “ever more socially prevalent activity.”

The GLAD curriculum will initially launch in Delaware, where RSI’s BetRivers currently holds a de facto monopoly on online gambling, as well as in New Jersey.

This spring, both RSI and IC360 have been working with educational districts on creating and delivering an educational curriculum. Those initial efforts will help inform the full GLAD rollout. The GLAD program ultimately will be available to educators more broadly to curate the content that resonates best with students.

Operators have responsibility to teenagers, says RSI CEO

“Consumers..