BetRivers operator Rush Street Interactive has partnered with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) to launch a program designed to help educators improve high-school students’ gaming literacy.
The new initiative, titled Gaming Literacy Aiding Decisions (GLAD), aims to not only help teenagers understand online gambling better but also promote their responsible relationship with what RSI and IC360 note is an “ever more socially prevalent activity.”
The GLAD curriculum will initially launch in Delaware, where RSI’s BetRivers currently holds a de facto monopoly on online gambling, as well as in New Jersey.
This spring, both RSI and IC360 have been working with educational districts on creating and delivering an educational curriculum. Those initial efforts will help inform the full GLAD rollout. The GLAD program ultimately will be available to educators more broadly to curate the content that resonates best with students.
Operators have responsibility to teenagers, says RSI CEO
“Consumers today have more entertainment options than ever before, including within the gaming space,” said RSI CEO Richard Schwartz. “We appreciate that this expanded landscape offers individuals more ways to fulfill their entertainment needs. As technology continues to evolve, entertainment options, such as online gambling, have become increasingly mainstream and accessible.
“Like any material societial change, this evolution requires thoughtful education and honest, open dialogue – particularly for youth who are coming of age in an environment where these choices are all around them. I’ve seen this firsthand with young people in my own community. It’s clear that exposure is growing, and with it, the need for responsible frameworks.”
RSI operates the BetRivers, PlaySugarHouse and RushBet brands and is currently live with mobile and online operations in 15 U.S. states as well as Canada’s regulated market of Ontario and Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
Schwartz added that operators like RSI have a responsibility to inform and educate young people, providing them with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions, “so that when the time comes, they can determine for themselves, with confidence and understanding, what relationship, if any, they wish to have with gambling products.”
“We are proud to partner with Rush Street Interactive, a company that has not only identified the need for gambling literacy among young people, but has also taken meaningful, proactive steps to lead the way in addressing the critical educational gap,” added Eric Frank, co-CEO and president of IC360. “Their demonstrable commitment to supporting educators and empowering students sets a new standard for creating informed and responsible attitudes towards gambling.”
