Key points:
- Casino.nl launches the myStridePositivePlay tool to promote safer gambling through interactive mini-games
- The pilot project aims to explore affiliates’ role in encouraging responsible gambling practices
- Findings will be presented at an academic conference in February 2025 to explore the project’s impact
Casino.nl, in collaboration with the Digital Wellness Center, has launched the myStridePositivePlay pilot project – a new effort to enhance responsible gambling practices.
The initiative seeks to explore the role affiliates can play in encouraging safer gambling behaviour by offering tools that actively promote responsible gaming.
The myStridePositivePlay tool is designed to help players manage their gambling habits through mini-games that act as microbreaks.
These games aim to interrupt prolonged gameplay sessions (which can lead to excessive dopamine release and impaired decision-making) by engaging the brain’s prefrontal cortex to improve emotional regulation and rational thinking.
Key features of myStridePositivePlay include a memory game called ‘Pairs’ that involves matching words or phrases to stimulate mental activity, and a guessing game called ‘Droodles’ that requires players to guess abstract drawings in order to refocus and reset.
Additionally, players using the tool can track their mood, earn points and compare scores – ultimately aiming to make responsible gaming feel more rewarding and interactive for users.
The pilot project’s goal is to determine how affiliates like Casino.nl can move beyond their traditional educational role to actively support safer gambling behaviours.
Good to know: Data collected anonymously from users will be analysed to assess the tool’s impact on gambling habits
Commenting on the intention behind the initiative, Founder of the Digital Wellness Center Dr. Mary Donohue stated: “These microbreaks work like a seatbelt for the brain, providing players with moments to reset and recalibrate their emotions.
“Together with Casino.nl, we’re exploring how affiliates can make responsible gaming not just an obligation, but an empowering and meaningful experience.”
Floris Assies, Editor-in-Chief at Casino.nl, added: “Our role as affiliates is evolving. We aim not only to inform but also to inspire action that fosters safer gambling. Through this pilot, we’re exploring how we can play an active part in driving responsible gaming practices, complementing our mission to be the most responsible casino affiliate in the Netherlands.”
Data collected anonymously from users will be analysed by Dr Donohue to assess the tool’s impact on gambling habits. The findings will be presented at the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Conference in February 2025.