Photo: Thomas E. Briglia /PhotoGraphics
The panel that opened the April 18 portion of the 27th East Coast Gaming Congress (ECGC) in Atlantic City centered on responsible gaming, featuring four star advocates. It’s not the first time responsible gaming has taken center stage at ECGC, in various ways and classifications.
“In one form or another, and in one forum or another, this has been on the Congress’ agenda since 1996,” said Michael Pollock, co-founder of the conference.
In those initial years, not enough was known about the concept, about identification of those affected, about acceptable treatment. The term at the time was simply “compulsive gambler” and research was in its infancy.
Ernest DeMasi was the poster boy, even if his situation took place in 1984. Guilty of embezzling $225,000, DeMasi, 38, spirited a gun into an Atlantic County courtroom undetected and shot himself. He expected to be sentenced to seven years.
“Frankly, that was seared in our memories,” Pollock said.
But the times, they are a-changing.
“In the early years, efforts to address problem gambling were viewed as costly; they took revenue away from the industry,” he said. “Today, an evolving focus on `responsible gaming’ is different. Now, the failure to adequately address—or at least try to address—problem gambling is viewed as costly.”
Responsible gaming, problem gambling and safer gaming—the various terms in fashion—have emerged from the shadows and are central to any discussion of gaming policy, according to a statement in the ECGC program book.
Legislators, regulators, operators and suppliers all recognize that an issue that is centuries old is a key to the expansion and authorization of all forms of digital gaming. What lessons have the public and private sectors learned? What do policy leaders need to understand? And what more needs to be done to ensure proper protection?
Gambling problems occurred much earlier than were able to be detected, said panelist Carolyn Hawley, president of the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling, and a past member of the board of directors of the National Council on Problem Gaming.
“It’s about creating awareness,” she said. “It’s about recognizing the social, cultural and economic factors. Prevention is a pivotal moment.”
Funding is critical for research and treatment, said Dr. Jennifer Shatley, a veteran researcher who was named in April as executive director of the just-formed Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA). Seven of the leading sportsbook operators have pledged to fund ROGA with $20 million for the first year.
Jonathan Aiwazian, CEO of IDPair, which connects transactional and voluntary self-exclusion data across operators and jurisdictions to strengthen protections, believes states are better able to handle these issues than leaving it in federal hands.
“They’re more flexible,” he said.
Jamie McKelvey, responsible gaming coordinator for the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, said it doesn’t have to be that complicated. “Take smaller steps and apply them.”
