A group consisting of the major players in the mobile sports betting and iGaming industry has formed a coalition to promote and fund responsible gambling practices in the United States.
Bet Responsibly
Regulators throughout the nation are concerned that the proliferation of mobile sports betting and online casino gambling will have deleterious effects on a segment of the population most vulnerable to addictive behavior. But the biggest online gaming companies in the U.S. have also taken a bold step to address this issue and have put their money where their mouths are, by launching the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA).
BetMGM, Bet365, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital, and PENN Entertainment, whose online presence controls 85% of the market, have combined to pledge at least $20 million to the cause. The coalition’s mission statement is to “drive both consumer and industry-responsible gaming education and awareness.”
Building a Safer Game
The money will be used to fund studies on responsible gambling and create policy initiatives that will foster a healthier approach and attitude towards gaming by their customers. ROGA’s seven members will also share data in order to compile a database that will form the blueprint for highlighting problem gambling patterns to diminish those adverse effects.
ROGA Executive Director and Nevada Council on Problem Gambling President Dr. Jennifer Shatley released a statement that said, “By coming together with a clear set of objectives, ROGA and our members will work to enhance consumer protections and help provide easier and more efficient access to responsible gaming tools for consumers to enjoy the entertainment of online gaming.
“Together, our members will work alongside researchers, experts, regulators, and stakeholders to promote responsible online gaming and maximize our efforts to support additional responsible gaming education and awareness,” she added.
Problem Gambling Numbers Rise
As mobile sports betting and iGaming become more mainstream, the number of calls to gambling support hotlines has risen. The increase in Americans who have access to betting on a game or playing a hand of blackjack on a PC or mobile device has triggered a logical byproduct in increased problem gambling.
Since the reversal of PASPA in 2018, which allowed states to decide for themselves whether to permit mobile gambling within their borders, the data has shown an increase in calls to problem gambling hotlines like 1-800-GAMBLER. Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, said, “We believe, nationwide, the rate and severity of gambling problems have increased across the United States since 2018.”
“We have every reason to believe the growth of online sports betting is a major contributing factor to the increase in gambling problems,” Whyte said.
Dialing Up Concerns
Ohio, for example, launched mobile sports betting in January 2023, and the number of people calling Ohio’s Problem Gambling Network increased by 55% in the first year of mobile sports betting. Michael Buzzelli, the organization’s associate director, said, “We are seeing this new trend where it is, in fact, sports bettors who are making up that big bump in call volume.”
Within a month of the launch, Buzzelli reported that sports betting was the No. 1 reason why people called his organization’s helpline, which surpassed lottery and casino slot machine gambling calls.
“One can easily, rapidly place many bets that may make it more feasible for vulnerable individuals to experience gambling problems,” said Marc Potenza, director of the Center of Excellence in Gambling Research at Yale University.
But steps are being taken by state regulators to ensure there are resources available for those who believe they are having issues with problem gambling and the online sportsbooks are required to have that contact information available on their apps as well.
“We’re making sure that the small percentage of people in the United States that should not be using our platform — similar to how they should not be drinking alcohol if they have a problem with alcohol — are not able to get access to it,” said Chris Jones, a spokesperson for FanDuel.
