Earlier this month, the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention held an educational session about mobile betting and the challenges it presents for problem gambling in a digital-first world. A group of industry leaders spoke during the session about the evolving risks of problem gambling amid a digital-first world and where real-time data and AI are being leveraged daily.
The topic was discussed by a panel that included IC360 Co-Managing Director Dan Trolaro and Almond Digital Health founder Kevin Winters. The panel, moderated by Safer Gambling Strategies CEO Keith Whyte, also included California Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Robert Jacobson and Cornell professor Dr. Soojin Ha.
Accessibility of gambling through mobile devices
Problem gambling is an aspect of the industry that regulators across the country have allocated time and resources toward but it is something that is continually underdiscussed.
“In school systems, our kids are taught to explore their relationship with alcohol, cannabis, technology and news. So, we need to have that same conversation with gambling,” said Trolaro. “We are starting to look at problem relationships or problems in the gambling ecosystem through a direct lends and that’s why technology is important.”
The influx of technology in the gaming industry has made regulated wagering easily accessible with the mobile devices offering access to licensed operations across the U.S.
The accessibility of gambling via technology impacts the relationship it has with players.
“If you’re playing a table game they have a dealer change, they have to shuffle out the cards, make a chip substitution and those give you a break in the play,” added Trolaro. “One of the challenges of mobile betting is that it’s nonstop. It’s in your face constantly.”
Using technology to combat problem gambling
Technology is also being leveraged to enhance problem gambling resources and tools.
The California Council on Problem Gambling has created an interactive dashboard that collects data from problem gambling helpline requests and creates a business analytics report that is available to the public and allows for the proper allocation of RG resources.
The council is also using technology to develop guided RG training for gaming employees.
“We have two online learning management systems that continue education online for therapists and counselors,” said Jacobson. “The systems cover the entire gaming spectrum providing in-person training for private casino or partner employees.”
Proper education and training are deemed essential to monitoring the popularity of digital platforms that deploy algorithms designed to acquire and retain customers.
“It’s not just about cutting off access to those individuals and protection against those algorithms,” Winters told panel attendees. “There’s something about building up a little resiliency in the populations that have been targeted for this as well.”
Tribes take advantage of technology
Tribes across the country that provide regulated gaming are making conscious efforts to offer both new and old players protection from gambling-related harm. IC360 has partnered with the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin to provide monitoring services.
The services have allowed the federally recognized tribe to offer betting to permitted players while preventing access to its wagering platforms to problem gamblers.
Tribes and gambling brands across America will continue to adjust to changes in the gaming industry that impact problem gambling resources and tools. The need for comprehensive solutions and regulatory standards will remain prevalent as mobile betting becomes more accessible and readily available to players in the U.S. and other regions.
