“ Vaping , drinking , smoking … those are substance-related issues . For each one of them , you have to put a foreign substance into your body . Gambling is a process addiction ”
“ Vaping , drinking , smoking … those are substance-related issues . For each one of them , you have to put a foreign substance into your body . Gambling is a process addiction ”
Dan Trolaro , Epic Global Solutions pieces of legislation , depending on the state . We were working with different elements of public policy . Everyone knew we had to do [ something ] about responsible play , but what we ’ re learning now is that the approach needs to be more holistic .”
On the supply side , Dr Michael Auer , founder and managing director of OpenBet ’ s Neccton , believes the industry is getting better , but needs to engage more with academic research . “ Very few operators are working in collaboration with researchers to understand responsible gaming , and this must be a key factor in expanding the industry ’ s capabilities in this area .”
The consensus is fairly cut and dried : the industry isn ’ t doing enough to promote responsible play , but not out of malice or neglect . Stakeholders from every angle are presented with obstacles – making a holistic approach hard to come by . Plus , the speed at which the industry grows , makes responsible play a game of catch-up .
Now , let ’ s dive into two approaches to curbing problem play and building longterm solutions for the industry at large .
PREVENTION : LIGHTBULB MOMENTS
Many people entering the gambling space aren ’ t educated about its intricacies . And that goes far beyond simple terms or slang . Prospective bettors have a hard time understanding the mechanics of gambling and , by extension , they lack an understanding of how to gamble responsibly .
This is where prevention comes in . It ’ s the first line of defence against problem gambling and thus a core facet of any responsible gaming initiative .
Trolaro of EPIC Global Solutions says : “ We ’ re a prevention-based organisation . We ’ re in our third year with the NCAA , where we ’ re going campus to campus delivering sessions to student-athletes , coaches and administrators .”
Last year , EPIC spoke to more than 20,000 student-athletes and coaches across the country . The impact of these sessions is multi-pronged , too .
“ People come in and , when they leave , they say ‘ Wow , gambling really can be a problem from an addiction perspective .’ Or they say ‘ Hey , I think I might know someone who could use some help .’ We don ’ t talk about it enough .”
EPIC ’ s sessions open a dialogue for people to better understand the elements of responsible play and the potential harms of its opposite . Those harms are more than the first things that come to mind like financial hardship or loss of play privileges .
“ It ’ s not just gambling as an addiction ,” Trolaro says . “ It ’ s the threats to athletes . You might have someone betting on a game and it doesn ’ t go their way . They might send a social media threat to a particular athlete : ‘ I ’ m gonna harm your family ’ or ‘ I ’ m gonna kill you .’
“ These are very real consequences of problem gambling , so we work with legislators , regulators , compliance officers , law enforcement and the FBI to keep play sustainable and safe .”
The core tenet of Trolaro and EPIC ’ s approach is a simple mantra : “ Rules without relationships lead to rebellion .”
Try telling a 22-year-old they can ’ t do something with no context at all and see how that turns out .
EPIC explains the potential harms in detail , building that relationship for players . “ They have lightbulb moments ,” he says . “ They realise apps can track what players do and that there really can be dire consequences . Making that connection helps them understand why the rules exist in the first place .”
PROTECTION AS PART OF THE GAMEPLAY
Up to this point , I ’ ve covered “ prevention ” as a “ before you even consider gambling ” concept . It can also exist within the gambling space to keep the experience fun and engaging for players without becoming problematic .
Mitchell of Future Anthem says : “ Although numerous channels educate players about responsible gambling programmes and resources , the real challenge is identifying and engaging with players at critical moments .”
Mitchell encourages operators to use risk detection technology to strike at the right moment . “ Merely
ICE LONDON 2024 • ISSUE 135 • 73