The increased popularity of cashless payment systems in 2021, concurrent with tremendous growth in sports betting and igaming, has renewed focus on responsible gaming. Gaming operators, according to Sightline Payments Senior Vice President, Strategic Development & Government Affairs Jonathan Michaels, have done a good job in adding responsible-gaming tools to apps.
But operators who forget about casino visitors with problems put their customers at risk.
“What we’re really focused on is how do you bring that similar experience, the tools to be able to reach responsibly, into the brick-and-mortar setting,” Michaels said Tuesday at the Player Protection Symposium at the 40-40 Club in Manhattan, “as well deposit settings, with limit settings, all that stuff.”
Michaels spoke Tuesday during the panel discussion, “Player Protection with Innovation & Technology,” at the Player Protection Symposium. Hosted by Epic Risk Management, the inaugural event served as the kickoff to the SBC Summit North America, taking place today and tomorrow, at the Meadowland Exhibition Center in Seacaucus, N.J. Featured sponsors were Entain Foundation U.S., Sightline Payments, and Sportradar.
Moderator Jamie Salsburg, founder and brand strategist of Dvye Agency, a company that addresses problem gambling, said technology can be useful when addressing player protections.
But while technology can be leveraged to address gambling issues, it’s important that the humans deploying such technology are invested in good outcomes. Melissa Etherington, vice president of partnerships at Gamban, whose product blocks access to online gambling, said companies should realize that problem gambling can’t be addressed haphazardly.
Noting Gamban’s co-founders have struggled with online-gambling problems, she said it is essential to create a culture in which addressing addiction is not just a nine-to-five job.
“We all have the end goal of making a difference in people’s lives,” Etherington said. “We’re all very passionate about what we do. And I think it’s so important in this space to find people like that.”
Carolene Layugan, responsible-gaming program director for Caesars Entertainment, noted that the gaming operator has many systems in place, including a program that identifies self-excluded players on gaming floors But she thinks it’s also essential for Caesars’ personnel to be able to identify signs of problem gambling.
Team members “are out on the gaming floor,” Layugan said. “They’re engaging online with our customers. Our customer-support team members are trained. They have continuously expressed Caesars has got to continue what they do today and continue to innovate the program, because this is what helps them as team members understand and be aware of what problem gambling is.
“When they hear a comment or a statement, they’re empowered to report that to their supervisor. I think that’s the crux of our RG program.”
While much has been made about the need for the gaming industry to address responsible gaming collaboratively, Etherington said operators should be also be able to put their “own twist” on responsible-gaming measures.
Michaels agreed that there’s a collaborative aspect, but also said competition can result in better ways to address problem gambling.
“Sightlines is a payments company and we want to be leaders in responsible gaming, because we want customers to look at us and say, ‘I want to utilize them; it’s a healthy, fun platform, because they’re going to put in place tools that ensure that I reach it responsibly.’ That’s good business for us.”
