In May, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved a self-exclusion list for online gamblers who want to curb their play. Joining the list blocks the user’s access to online casinos but doesn’t apply to land-based gaming, so anyone on the list can still play casino games in person.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that language was added to Regulation 5A, which regulates online gaming. It says, “The board shall establish and maintain a statewide list of individuals who have self-excluded from participating in interactive gaming and the date each individual self-excluded. The board shall update the statewide list of individuals who have self-excluded each day and provide operators with access to the list.”
Details of the program are still being ironed out. Alan Feldman, former public affairs VP for MGM Resorts, a distinguished fellow at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute and an authority on responsible gaming, said there’s no evidence that self-exclusion programs stop problem gambling, but the act of signing up “validating and affirming” in itself.
“It’s now that moment where you’ve said, ‘I need to do something,’ and that often is a critical moment in a problem gambler’s journey,” Feldman said. “Does it actually do anything for them? Do they have a better outcome ? Not really, but I wouldn’t throw it all away because of that.
“So far,” Feldman said, “I think they’ve handled this appropriately.”
