Credit: (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)Gambling addiction and the efforts to address it will be the focus of the first day of a trade show on the online betting and gaming industries set to begin today at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus.
The ongoing push by state and national leaders in the gambling industry to address the problem comes after New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced plans to set new advertising standards for gambling operators. He also said the state will simplify access to a self-exclusion program for people struggling with gambling disorders. Over the past five years, between 60% and 70% of New Jersey residents have placed bets in some form, from lottery tickets to sports wagering, according to Dr. Lia Nower, a professor and director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University.
One proposal is for a diversion court, an alternative to incarceration for gamblers who get into trouble with the law
Sunday marks the five-year anniversary since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a case allowing legal sports betting in New Jersey. Since then, Americans have placed over $220 billion in legal bets with sports betting businesses, The Associated Press reported Monday.
The three-day conference, SBC Summit North America, includes a “player protection symposium” that aims to address and prevent harm that can be caused by gambling. Problem gambling is an emotional issue that has financial consequences, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, and includes symptoms such as increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently and restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop. The council is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that serves as a national advocate to reduce gambling-related harm.
One of the discussions, scheduled to be moderated by Alan Feldman of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will look at how gambling operators can use technology to alleviate a player’s risk.
There is a need to learn what’s working and what isn’t as it relates to responsible gambling and player protection, according to Feldman.
“There’s actually been very little done in responsible gambling, which is in its purest form, a prevention tool,” Feldman said. “A lot of the time and money is being spent on finding people who already have problems. And I’m not suggesting that we ignore them at all, but I think it might be a good idea to have a discussion about how we keep people from getting into problems in the first place.”
Profiling problem gamblers
Platkin also announced in late April the creation of a new position within the Division of Gaming Enforcement to focus on responsible gambling. These announcements come after the Division of Gaming Enforcement began using data on players’ online betting behavior earlier this year to identify gamblers at risk of addiction. Up to half of individuals in treatment for gambling disorder have suicidal ideation and about 17% have attempted suicide, according to the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.
‘I think the biggest thing is for licensed gambling operators … to use the tools and technology they currently have available to minimize harm, not just to maximize profit.’ — Keith Whyte, National Council on Problem Gambling
Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, said current technology can be used “a lot better” to help people with responsible gambling.
“Our call is for operators to start doing a lot more innovation, using the technology for responsible gambling in this area, rather than waiting for regulators to require them to do so,” said Whyte, who will be speaking at the conference tomorrow.
“I think the biggest thing is for licensed gambling operators … to use the tools and technology they currently have available to minimize harm, not just to maximize profit,” Whyte said.
For more information on the conference, visit sbcevents.com.
An industry leader says operators have a vested interest in prevention for the long-term sustainability of their business
