SBC Americas - Player Protection Hub

New Hampshire committee is told 18-year-olds shouldn’t bet

SBC AmericasJanuary 21, 20250360 views

New Hampshire lawmakers heard from the state’s lottery director and gambling health advocates from neighboring Massachusetts on Tuesday about a proposal to cut 18-to-20-year-olds out of sports betting.

At a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Jan. 21, Rep. Sally Fellows presented HB 83, which would raise the state’s minimum legal sports wagering age from 18 to 21.

Per New Hampshire Lottery financials, 18-to-20-year-olds wagered more than $14 million in FY 24, providing around $639,000 in revenue to the state.

New Hampshire is one of a small handful of regulated sports betting states that allows people as young as 18 to bet.

Argument hinged largely on young men’s brains

Fellows stressed that research shows that 18-to-20-year-old males are more likely than mature adults to engage in risky behaviors because their cognitive ability to evaluate the consequences of their actions has not completely developed.

She also pointed to the dangers of cellphone addiction among younger d..

ESPN launches new RG campaign ‘The Talk’

SBC AmericasJanuary 21, 20250359 views

ESPN has begun a new campaign focused on promoting responsible gaming practices around sports betting.

“The Talk” intends to educate ESPN Bet users and ESPN’s wider audience about how to gamble on sports smartly and protect themselves from the risks of problem betting.

The campaign features two creative spots, each featuring a SportsCenter anchor. A spot led by Elle Duncan will debut on Jan. 21 across ESPN platforms during the TGL golf league broadcast, while another featuring Gary Striewski is set to air later in 2025.

ESPN said in a release that “The Talk” uses humor and is inspired by heart-to-heart conversations within families. It will include the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline and direct viewers to a dedicated landing page, ESPN.com/smartplay, that offers additional tools and resources to help fans understand what smart betting looks like and to help them have meaningful conversations about responsible betting.

“At ESPN, we believe it’s our responsibility to help sports fans understa..

Keith Whyte leaves NCPG for consultancy role

Steve HoareJanuary 21, 20250420 views

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Board of Directors has announced the departure of Keith Whyte from his position as Executive Director after 26 years in the role. Whyte left the role last week (January 13) for a new career as a responsible gambling consultant. “After more than 26 years as Executive Director of…

EPIC Global Solutions lands historic deal with NCAA

SBC AmericasJanuary 10, 20250296 views

EPIC Global Solutions has agreed to a landmark deal with a NCAA Division III conference.

The London-based gambling harm consultancy has reached an agreement with the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) making the conference the first DIII conference to offer a gambling harm education program through EPIC. The agreement, which includes an initial six-month consultancy period, will provide education on sports betting issues to student-athletes and staff, including athletic directors, from all PAC member schools.

“Since sports betting became legal and so accessible online, the PAC and administrators in our conference have been searching for a way to educate our student-athletes and staff about the potential dangers of online gambling,” said PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko. “This partnership with EPIC Global Solutions will help provide our conference schools with the tools to help our athletes be better informed about possible issues that can be brought on by online gambling.”

EPIC will ..

IGT becomes first gaming supplier to be accredited by NCPG

SBC AmericasJanuary 9, 20250352 views

International Game Technology (IGT) has been awarded the National Council on Problem Gambling’s (NCPG) new iCAP Ready accreditation, making the firm the first gaming supplier to receive such recognition.

iCAP (Internet Compliance Assessment Program) Ready certifies that gaming companies uphold the highest levels of responsible gaming standards in their operations.

The new supplier-specific accreditation is based on the original iCAP that was designed for gaming operators, and which has been achieved by the likes of Jackpocket, Jackpot.com, several U.S. state lotteries and Tipico Sportsbook.

Supported by the NCPG, iCAP Ready utilizes best practices from the Internet Responsible Gambling Standards to ensure that suppliers implement and maintain responsible gambling policies, provide effective staff training and offer comprehensive player support tools. As part of the process, gaming companies’ responsible gaming policies and practices are audited by an independent agency and an overa..

Pennsylvania scraps plan to automatically end casino self-exclusion

SBC AmericasJanuary 3, 20250368 views

Pennsylvania regulators have voted down a proposal that would have given self-excluding gamblers an easier path to return to state casinos, citing relapse concerns.

The proposed Regulation #125-250 would have modified the state’s self-exclusion removal process for land-based casinos to bring it in line with other forms of gambling such as online gaming, fantasy sports betting and retail video gaming terminals.

Currently, self-imposed bans for players in those latter categories automatically end after a certain time period. the user can select to be excluded for one year, five years or for life. In contrast, self-excluding players at casinos must manually remove themselves from the prohibited list after their one- or five-year exclusion terms are over.

The proposal to automatically end self-exclusion bans for casino gamblers was originally approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) in August 2024 but received stern criticism and negative feedback during a public commen..

Report: ‘Angry Gamblers’ make up nearly half of online abuse in tennis

SBC AmericasDecember 20, 20240314 views

Some of the world’s largest tennis organizations are sharing collective data on gambling-related online abuse against players and officials.

According to data collected by the International Tennis Federation, Women’s Tennis Association, the All England Lawn Tennis Club and United States Tennis Association, there were roughly 12,000 online posts and comments with abuse messaging directed at athletes and officials between January 2024 and October 2024. The posts and comments, which were monitored through the innovative Threat Matrix service, showcase the need for organizations and governing bodies to combat gambling-related harassment.

Between January and October, approximately 48% of the abusive messaging came from “angry gamblers” with Threat Matrix monitoring around 2.47 million posts worldwide.

The posts and comments monitored during that period were in 39 different languages.

“Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, and with that, it was essential for the WT..

Report: ‘Angry Gamblers’ make up nearly half of online abuse in tennis

SBC AmericasDecember 19, 20240412 views

Some of the world’s largest tennis organizations are sharing collective data on gambling-related online abuse against players and officials.

According to data collected by the International Tennis Federation, Women’s Tennis Association, the All England Lawn Tennis Club and United States Tennis Association, there were roughly 12,000 online posts and comments with abuse messaging directed at athletes and officials between January 2024 and October 2024. The posts and comments, which were monitored through the innovative Threat Matrix service, showcase the need for organizations and governing bodies to combat gambling-related harassment.

Between January and October, approximately 48% of the abusive messaging came from “angry gamblers” with Threat Matrix monitoring around 2.47 million posts worldwide.

The posts and comments monitored during that period were in 39 different languages.

“Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, and with that, it was essential for the WT..

Lawmaker says igaming bills with credit cards ‘political suicide’

SBC AmericasDecember 14, 20240301 views

During a public hearing on the new model igaming legislation introduced by the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) most of the feedback was positive but there were a couple of issues that proved controversial. Most notably, the prohibition of credit card deposits drew criticism.

Former regulator says no evidence credit card bans work

Former Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement David Rebuck was the most vocal critic. He was part of the group that consulted on the draft and helped develop language, but he made public his disagreement with that particular component of the bill.

“A one size fits all, maximum amount of money that can be wagered is not supported by evidence today. The ban on credit cards is also not supported by evidence and research today,” Rebuck noted. He also observed that the current draft of the legislation lacks definitions and licensing requirements for affiliates, which he believes is necessary for the industry.

Severa..

Gift Responsibly Campaign from the NCPG receives record support

SBC AmericasDecember 11, 20240323 views

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is reaching new heights in its effort to garner support for youth gambling awareness.

The NCPG has reported a record 74 lotteries and 101 community organizations that have promised their participation in the council’s 2024 Gift Responsibly Campaign. The campaign, supported by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, raises awareness of the risks of purchasing lottery tickets for children.

The 2024 Gift Responsible Campaign will have participation from major U.S. lotteries, including the California State Lottery, New Jersey Lottery and Hoosier Lottery. Regulators, including the New York State Gaming Commission, are also participating.

“This year’s record participation is a heartwarming way to enter the holiday season as we continue our work to educate the public about the dangers of underage gambling,” said NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte. “The Gift Responsibly Campaign promotes global awareness and understa..