SBC Summit Americas 2025 is just weeks away and the excitement for the event is through the roof. SBC Summit Americas will include SBC’s Player Protection Symposium where industry leaders will share insights on responsible gaming practices and standards.
PrizePicks Senior Director of Responsible Gaming Phil Sherwood will be in attendance providing attendees with details on how the daily fantasy operator is protecting its players.
SBC Americas spoke with Sherwood about PrizePicks’ RG policy, what ways the company is improving its protocols and the partnerships it has forged throughout the industry.
SBCA: How does the responsible gaming policy at PrizePicks work? Is it universal across states or does it vary based on state regulations in markets where you are operate?
Sherwood: PrizePicks is committed to providing a safe, responsible and enjoyable gaming experience for all players. While certain markets require us to comply with specific state regulations, our RG policies are designed to apply universally across all jurisdictions. We maintain a consistent, high standard of player protection nationwide regardless of local regulatory requirements.
SBCA: What would you say to critics who suggest that unregulated operators lack sufficient RG measures?
Sherwood: It’s important to distinguish between unregulated and illegal operators. Illegal operators—particularly offshore platforms—often lack even basic RG measures creating significant risks for consumers. While some unregulated operators may have gaps, it’s not accurate to generalize that all lack sufficient RG protocols.
PrizePicks is licensed in 12 U.S. states and is actively pursuing regulation in additional jurisdictions. Even where not required, we have proactively developed responsible gaming tools and protocols that meet, and often exceed, the highest standards seen in regulated markets. PrizePicks is the first and only daily fantasy sports operator to earn iCAP certification from the National Council on Problem Gambling, a testament to the rigor of our RG program.
Robust RG measures are essential—not only for consumer protection but for the long-term health and sustainability of the industry.
SBCA: PrizePicks has partnered with both EPIC Global Solutions and Kindbridge Behavioral Health. How did those partnerships come about? Was that something your team came up with or did leadership come together for these deals?
Sherwood: These partnerships are a direct reflection of the strong, company-wide commitment to RG that exists at every level of PrizePicks’ leadership. From the outset, there was clear and unanimous buy-in to invest in best-in-class programs like Kindbridge and EPIC, recognizing that player protection and mental health services must be core pillars of how we operate.
Because of that shared commitment, we were able to move quickly—standing up the Kindbridge mental health integration and launching EPIC’s employee surveys in a short time. Both partnerships have been instrumental in strengthening our internal RG culture while also providing meaningful support for our players.
We’re proud to work with leaders in the space and look forward to continuing to build on these initiatives as we set a new standard for responsible operations across the industry.
SBCA: Based on your recent employee survey, it seems like RG is core to the training and onboarding process at PrizePicks. What does that training and onboarding look like?
Sherwood: RG is embedded into the culture at PrizePicks from day one. Every new employee receives an introduction to our RG program during onboarding, including a dedicated RG-101 training that covers core principles, key terminology and the tools we provide to protect players.
Beyond onboarding, we offer ongoing education throughout the year, including specialized sessions led by experts and individuals with lived experience to deepen employee understanding and keep responsible gaming practices front of mind across the organization.
SBCA: There are always a ton of topics covered at SBC’s Player Protection Symposium. What topics in particular are most exciting to discuss with the RG community at the event?
Sherwood: I’m especially excited to dive into how technology can drive the next evolution of player protection. We now have the ability to use data analytics to identify at-risk behaviors earlier and personalize RG messaging in ways that are timely, relevant and actionable. By tailoring interventions to individual players and continuously measuring their effectiveness we can create a safer, more sustainable gaming environment. It’s an exciting time to rethink how technology can proactively support players rather than reactively respond.
