US operators team up on new responsible gambling pledge
DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM among those signing up to 12-point standards document
Six of the biggest operators in the US market have jointly committed to a new 12-point pledge on responsible gambling standards in the market.
The coalition comprises US market leader FanDuel as well as Entain, DraftKings, BetMGM, Bally’s and MGM Resorts International.
All committed operators have said they will encourage their affiliate partners, including content providers, social media influencers and accounts, as well as respective brand ambassadors, to champion the RG pledges they have agreed to undertake.
The 12-point pledge is a best practice set of standards of responsible online gaming, with the operators suggesting these could form benchmarks for RG across the entire sector. Each of the 12 points is derived from four core attributes committed to by each operator.
These include operating in legal markets with consumer protection, as well as making efforts to instil a responsible gaming culture in all their respective businesses.
It also includes assertions that all forms of online gambling should be fun and entertaining, as well as acknowledging that some individuals will need additional tools and support related to their gambling activities.
The pledge has been made as part of the American Gaming Association’s Responsible Gambling Education Month.
The 12 principles include preventing underage and excluded individuals from participating in any form of gambling, as well as providing informed choices and easily understood RG tools.
Also included is the “adoption and effective promotion” of a unified responsible gaming toll-free helpline, and socially responsible advertising which avoids imagery that might entice minors.
The development of a shared responsibility approach to addressing problem gambling, as well as working with other groups in the sector, is also among the pledges made.
In addition, all committed operators have vowed to continuously conduct research to assess the impact of these pledges.
Entain SVP for American regulatory affairs and RG Martin Lycka summed up the mood of the operators concerned, calling the principles an “important milestone” for the sector.
“We have the research, the data, the partners – all the tools to establish an effective nationwide code of responsible gaming principles. And we hope our industry and state regulators will join us in advancing these principles,” Lycka said. “Our patrons deserve it.”
These sentiments were echoed by FanDuel VP of responsible gambling Adam Warrington and BetMGM chief legal officer Joshua Jessen, who suggested that the collective measures would only enable growth in the sector through encouraging cultures of responsible gambling.
“Collectively, we have the privilege and opportunity to set the standard for what it means to be a responsible operator by leading from the front and collectively enabling our customers to enjoy our products, responsibly,” Warrington explained.
- We take active steps to prevent underage and excluded individuals from participating in any form of gaming within our products.
- We help patrons make informed choices about their gaming. We provide easy to read information about how to play, provide responsible gaming tools including information on how to access and use such tools; and provide other related information, including information about a toll-free helpline, as well as resources for those who are seeking support related to their gaming.
- We support the adoption and effective promotion of a unified nationwide responsible gaming toll-free helpline.
- We abide by applicable standards of socially responsible advertising, including compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and standards, and we avoid using minors in marketing content. We only use actors and company representatives in advertising and social media relating to gaming who reasonably appear to be above the legal age to gamble.
- We provide our customers with tools to play responsibly, including but not to limited to self-exclusion tools, financial and other account limits as well as customer betting histories.
- We abide by all self-exclusion rules and regulations, and provide resources to individuals who make the choice to self-exclude.
- We encourage patrons to set a budget that they can afford to and never play beyond their means, and not view gaming as a means to financial success.
- We encourage patrons to set time and financial limits on their gaming and stick to them, not to chase losses.
- We believe in a shared responsibility approach to addressing problem gaming and are committed to working with policy makers, academic experts and researchers, problem gaming treatment organizations, advocacy groups, and our partners as well as with our customers to promote responsible gaming and address problem gaming.
- We support funding for evidence-based problem and responsible gaming research.
- We provide all applicable employees with responsible gaming training upon hire and regularly thereafter, in order to embed responsible gaming culture in our businesses.
- We are committed to evaluating and continuously monitoring our respective responsible gaming programs and initiatives.