Pulse

IGT: A Call for Alignment on Responsible Gaming

By William - 14 June 2022

At the IAGA Summit this month, IGT’s Phil O’Shaughnessy moderates a panel considering numerous issues that arise when each jurisdiction seems to have its own approach to addressing problem gambling; including whether a national US hotline with dedicated resources would be a step in the right direction.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to moderate a panel on responsible gaming at the 2022 IAGA International Gaming Summit.

This year’s event in Boston will enable industry thought leaders to get back together in person and discuss some of the most important topics and issues that our ever-evolving industry faces today. Responsible gaming is integral to the conversation, with the panel entitled ‘A Call for Industry-wide alignment on Responsible Gaming.’

Given the vast IGT games and solutions portfolio across the company’s global gaming, global lottery and betting and digital businesses, we are afforded with a unique opportunity to innovate and help to establish the industry standards for responsible gaming.

The truth is, regardless of a supplier’s size and scope, the operative word remains ‘collaboration’ for all who wish to demonstrate a strong commitment to RG and propel the conversation forward.

It takes strong partnerships between suppliers, regulators, operators and dedicated organisations such as the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), fostered by the strong support of industry associations such as IAGA, AGEM and the AGA, to make a difference in today’s evolving gaming and technology landscape.

But this is not an IGT advertorial, so rather than run down a list of the RG solutions that IGT provides, I’ll address some of the most prominent topics of conversation that I’m experiencing in my interactions with industry and RG thought leaders.

Hot topic number one: how will cashless gaming impact responsible gaming?

While cashless gaming provides players with the type of cash access that we’re all accustomed to in our daily lives through app- based purchases, it obviously remains an emerging technology in our industry. What’s important to realise from an RG perspective is that cashless gaming helps prevent anonymous play.

That’s a valuable RG benefit because if we look at the basic symptoms of gambling addiction, or disordered gambling, anonymous play or cash-based casino transactions allow individuals to keep playing without measure, and the potential for problem gambling to go undetected.

Think of the benefit of cashless as similar to online gaming, where one must establish a player account – the player is a known entity to the casino. This is important because some RG tools have been based upon research that indicates that reality checks such as clocks or transaction history can ensure that players remain rational about their play and keep it within the realm of reasonable entertainment.

When compared to anonymous cash play, it becomes easy to understand the opportunity that cashless technology provides our industry to implement and promote RG measures.

Hot topic number two: Is global industry alignment on RG possible?

Yes, if the question relates to the global gaming industry demonstrating an engaged and ongoing commitment to responsible gaming in various forms. The answer isn’t as easy when we take the variation in funding resources into consideration on a state-by-state and jurisdictional basis.

This is where partnering with the ICRG and the NCPG, among other associations, becomes such an important part of the entire industry’s commitment. This is where the underfunded and the funded join forces and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Yet with the rapid evolution of gaming technology, research requires the resources to keep up with the pace.

It also needs to honour the work being done on “old” technology and focus on impact from the “new” technology such as artificial intelligence, online play, smartphone transactions and apps and also, the effects of new forms of advertising, just to name a few.

With each new generation of players, we are provided with the opportunity to introduce responsible gaming solutions and encourage operators to normalise them as part of the gaming experience. Solutions such as limit- setting, set timeouts and more aren’t relevant if they’re not being utilised.

Informed play can become part of the gaming experience from the onset, particularly as cabinets and devices have become so capable of delivering multiple messages simultaneously as part of a comprehensive entertainment experience.

Just as organisations such as GameSense have effectively demonstrated that informed play is for everyone, we need to communicate and align with each other about how we view responsible gaming.

If we view RG as focused on players who already demonstrate problem gaming behaviours, we miss the opportunity to teach healthy play behaviours with sophisticated RG tools that can help prevent players from ever developing a problem in the first place.

Instead of attaching a stigma to RG after the problem has manifested, let’s join together to support research that can help positively and effectively communicate to the public that proactive implementation of positive play is for everyone.

Hot topic number three: how will we lead responsible gaming efforts for sports betting?

When PASPA was repealed, those of us suppliers with skin in the sports game immediately set out to provide a superior sports betting experience while driving and supporting legal play.

Responsible gaming wasn’t always on the agenda a few years ago when the industry came together to understand how it could best work with regulators, individual states, sports leagues and the like to provide a compelling, legalised experience. Now however, RG is as hot of a topic in sports as the college football transfer portal.

Fortunately, organisations such as the Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4) and the Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS) recognise this and are standing at the ready to provide certification and support to sports betting suppliers.

In my view, the G4 certification is a badge of honour demonstrating forward-thinking applications of RG solutions and practices to ensure that sports betting has as robust of a positive play aspect as casino gaming itself.

While I promised not to deliver an advertorial, I am admittedly proud that IGT has become the first gaming industry supplier to be G4-certified across gaming, lottery, digital and now…sports betting. I encourage you to join us in extending your commitment across the scope of your own entertainment offerings.

I also hope that the few sentiments that I’ve shared in this article can help to inspire continued engagement between IGT and other organisations on RG. In an era of increased importance for ESG ratings and sustainability measures, not to mention the significance of their related financial impact, responsible gaming has a unique opportunity to bask in the spotlight as part of a greater sustainability effort and garner renewed commitment and concentration.

Let’s join together in celebrating this opportunity and enhancing our collaboration on RG efforts across our industry, in the spirit of positive play.