Industry stakeholders call for stronger US Federal responsible gaming measures
A Thursday webinar hosted by Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) featured a panel of gaming industry stakeholders who called for stronger US federal responsible gaming tools and clearer regulations for emerging gaming offerings. Panelists noted the challenges brought on by the rapid expansion of both in-person and online gambling over the past decade and called for federal intervention to address those issues.
The panel also discussed the industry’s dynamism, noting that its weekly or almost weekly release of new offerings presents an upward challenge to regulators at state and federal levels to keep up. Matt Heap, Managing Director of ProhiBet, said, “Legislatively, something’s going to have to be done because every year or two, something new comes along that you’re going to have to continue to deal with.”
The rapid growth of gambling options has raised concerns about the risks of problem gambling. Since 2018, nearly 40 states have legalized some form of sports betting, and seven states have authorized real money online casinos.
As billions of dollars are wagered annually and sportsbooks invest heavily in advertising, the potential for harm to problem gamblers and the public’s perception of the industry has come under increased scrutiny.
One solution discussed was the introduction of a national digital self-exclusion list. That would solve the problem of the current system, which works state by state and allows people excluded from gambling in one state to cross into another and continue gambling. Panelists agreed that a federal framework for self-exclusion could significantly enhance responsible gaming efforts.
While the panelists supported national responsible gambling initiatives, they opposed federal gaming advertising and licensing oversight, believing it should remain a state-level responsibility.
However, there was a joint agreement on another point. They agreed that Congress and the Department of Justice should establish policies to address the growing number of igaming offerings not currently regulated by state governments.
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