Gaming operators and vendors gathered at Manhattan’s 40-40 Club last week for the Player Protection Summit, a conference on problem gambling held the day before the start of the SBC Summit North America sports betting conference.
Panels addressed the growing risk of problem gambling as the gaming industry expands with online gaming and mobile sports betting, and with cashless payment systems.
In a panel titled “Player Protection with Innovation & Technology,” Sightline Payments Senior Vice President, Strategic Development & Government Affairs Jonathan Michaels noted the problem gambling protections inherent in online gaming. “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,” he said, according to CDC Gaming Reports.
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 added that front-line employees are responsible for watching for the 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.”
The trade event also featured speakers with personal experience related to gambling addiction. The Lived Experience Panel, hosted by Epic Risk Management Director of Safer Gambling Dan Spencer, provided numerous cautionary tales about the dangers of problem gambling.
