Problem Gambling Issues to be Addressed

Currently, about half of the states in the U.S. allow their residents to wagers on sports through retail outlets, online, or both. In the coming months, another five or six states will start allowing residents to also start betting on sports. After factoring in potential gamblers that live in states that border states where sports betting is legal, it’s fair to say that more than 50% of the adult population has easy access to legal sports gambling.

There have been calls recently to assess whether or not states have the proper safeguards in place to protect potential problem gamblers. This is the very same concern opponents of online sports casino gambling have been leaning every time they oppose the legislation. To get bills through, Congressional sponsors have offered assurances that proper safeguards would indeed be utilized to protect gamblers and the integrity of the online gambling industry.

The problem the industry is currently facing is problem gambling efforts are too fragmented. Each state and each operator has their own version of a problem gambling helpline, which tends to promote confusion among the problems gamblers who need the help the most.

Addressing the Need for Help

There are two types of problem gambling programs that need to be in place for the people who need them. The first is a problem gambling hotline that gives problem gamblers easy and immediate access to resources like Gamblers Anonymous.

The second type of program that is needed is a voluntary self-exclusion program that allows people to give online gambling websites and retail bookmakers the right to exclude them from having gambling access.

It’s not enough that these programs exist. There needs to be a high level of coordination between these groups. It does little good for a problem gambler in New York to request self-exclusion, only to be able to drive to New Jersey and place bets legally without interference.

At this point, it’s time for the responsible gambling community to step forward with a comprehensive plan that will work across all member states. It would then be incumbent on the states to legislate membership from the gambling operators.

This is something that needs to be done sooner rather than later as the sports betting and online casino gambling population increases. Cleary, access to sports and casino gambling online, and other words have gotten ahead of responsible gambling initiatives. Failure to address this issue now could affect the passing of sports betting and online gambling legislation in states that have not yet passed said legislation.

At a recent panel sponsored by the Conscious Gaming philanthropic group, these very topics were discussed in great detail. In a comment made by Anna Sainsbury, chairman of geolocation industry leader GeoComply, "It’s up to us as an industry to pull together and get on the same page of responsible gaming, and that includes self-exclusion.”

She is correct. The continued success of the sports betting and online casino industry will depend on the ability of operators to protect the most vulnerable people. If they can do that, the naysayers lose leverage.