24 December, 2024 | JAN FEB 2025

UK vs US RG: Strength in numbers

Gambling Insider sits down with Bally’s VP of Responsible Gaming, Tammi Barlow-Marang, to explore what the US can learn from the EU regarding player protection.

You were recently part of a panel that covered player protection in the EU vs US. Something the two regions have in common – at least geographically – is a multitude of large jurisdictions, with different laws and cultures. Before we jump into the differences, do you think there are any key similarities in player protection approach in the two areas?

What’s interesting is that, even though we are very different jurisdictions in many ways, the US, the UK and Europe all share the same passions around player protection. Whether it is being able to ensure all customers have a way to set limits, whether there is a way for them to self-exclude or making sure there are services available for them to find help for themselves. I think there is a worldwide focus on identifying risks for customers so that we can know when to intervene. Another thing I think we have in common is initiatives around employee training, making sure teams around the world, wherever you are, understand the commitments we have to our customers. Honestly, overall, I think there are more similarities than differences and the differences that are there enable us to learn from each other. In the States, we have a lot of different smaller jurisdictions within the wider jurisdiction, different cultures, different regulations – and that means there are differences within the country; but I think that all of us should be proud of the work we’re doing to protect consumers worldwide.

Many EU markets have been regulated for a long time, whereas iGaming and sports betting outside of Nevada is still relatively new in the US. Do you think regulators and operators are looking to learn from the mistakes and successes of player protection regulation in the EU market?

Absolutely. I think that’s one of the great things about working at Bally’s, that we do have a really strong, excellent team in the UK who have already been through the hardships that are part of the journey. Now, in the US, we are absolutely paying attention to the lessons our European counterparts have learned. A big thing, I believe, is to ensure you regulate yourself before you get regulated. If you look at advertising, for example, we in the US just don’t want things to go as far as they have now in Europe with some of the bans that are being put into place. We’re trying to ensure our regulators are putting in key initiatives and updating regulations around advertising all the time. However, we are very much learning from our European counterparts – how to do it better. That’s the beauty of RG. It’s not a competition. It’s not just the EU market, either. We’re learning from Ontario and all the great work they’re doing there right now. This is truly a global playing ground, and we are focused on taking the best of what every jurisdiction has to offer. There is one thing we’re here to do and that is to protect our players.

Building on that, more and more states have been opening sports betting in the US – and it has led to something of a frenzy of sports betting advertising, something that is heavily regulated in the EU. What are your thoughts on how this may progress in the US regarding player protection?

In every jurisdiction, there are different requirements. One of the key things I really like that is happening in the US is that the regulators are paying a lot more attention to the advertising. There are some jurisdictions that now require the operator to submit their advertising before it even goes out. There are some that want you to measure how effective your advertising is. They’re making us go beyond just general disclaimers. In the long run, the hope is that by consistently measuring your impact, we won’t get to a point where things have to be completely banned. We are working together to understand how we can get away from that frenzy of promotion, promotion, promotion.

It’s about balancing promotion with responsible gaming messages. There are states like Colorado, New York and Ohio – who are really invested in making sure they represent the people in their states, which is a step in the right direction.

We just want our players to know that, when they come to our platform, it is the safest platform for them and that their play can be sustainable

Something that has happened in Ontario recently is the development of a centralised self-exclusion list. Do you think this is the direction the North American market may choose to go, as opposed to advertising regulation?

I have talked at length on various platforms about, ‘why is it difficult to get a universal self-exclusion list?’ I think the key to it is the data. Namely, the protection of player data. I do think we will get there. We need to ensure our regulators are educated on how that information is going to be protected. One of the things the industry is trying to figure out is how can we ensure we anonymise all this data so that we can share it? Are there ways we can use that for good? So, for instance, it would be great if we could create a data clearing house where we can share information so that customers can just hop from one platform to the other with self-exclusion. Maybe one day we get to the point where we can share those limits and create something of a global passport for self-exclusion. I really believe this is something that we will be able to crack the code on.

Finally, as a sportsbook in the US, where do you feel Bally’s responsibility lies in pushing for enhanced RG regulation in the market? Is something like a companywide self-exclusion list on the cards for you?

Absolutely. One of the things about Bally’s that’s really impressive is the level of commitment there is to RG. We have about 500 to 600 employees around the world that are looking into this area. We’re looking at how can we be innovative; how can we be careful and trying to find the right methodology to tackle the issue. This is a very important space for Bally’s. We have teams around the world that are laser focused on RG, and we want to be the best. Not because it’s something we want to brag about; we just want our players to know that, when they come to our platform, it is the safest platform for them and that their play can be sustainable. We want tools that really work for them. We want to be able to message them in a way that that they’ve never been messaged before. We want to be able to use our algorithm in a way that is focused on preventing harm before it becomes harmful. We are leaning into this space, we’re listening, we’re learning, not just from other operators, or regulators but from our players. At the end of the day, they are our key stakeholders: Bally’s wants to develop player protection programmes that resonate with all.

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