Ohio debuts problem gambling webinar series to educate stakeholders
Five-week series highlighting safeguards and resources available to support 2023 sports betting rollout
Legalized sports betting in Ohio is set to universally launch on January 1, 2023, and gaming officials want to ensure that problem gambling is a focus for the full gamut of stakeholders in advance of the statewide rollout.
Toward that end, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio – in concert with the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) and the Ohio Lottery Commission (OLC) – has developed a webinar series aimed at highlighting the array of safeguards and responsible gambling (RG) resources available to gaming licensees and consumers.
The series, entitled ‘Ready, Get Set, Go: A Journey Toward Responsible Sports Betting in Ohio’, debuted on October 31 and runs through December 5.
The first of the five one-hour sessions brought together OCCC deputy general counsel William Cox and OLC sports gaming operations manager Jon Dillinger for an overview of what Ohioans can expect to see once sports betting launches, from licensing structures to marketing requirements and consumer protections.
A primary focus of the discussion, however, was around responsible gambling, and specifically how operators of sports betting kiosks – or Type C license holders such as bars, restaurants and grocers – are being trained to spot problem gambling behaviors and instructed to maintain ubiquitous RG messaging throughout their establishments.
“Some of the major things that the commission has done is make sure people have the resources to help themselves,” Cox said. “Make sure those resources are not just a small footer but actually front and center.”
Other measures the regulators are working to implement include a $1,000 limit for anonymous in-person wagers, strict age-verification procedures, a voluntary exclusion program, optionality for users to establish self-imposed wagering limits and the prohibition of sportsbook marketing on college campuses.
Future sessions of the ‘Ready, Get Set, Go’ series will cover strategies to maintain low-risk play (November 7), a media-focused panel (November 14), an operator-focused panel (November 21) and a discussion solely dedicated to the statewide voluntary exclusion program (December 5).