In June 2021, the Entain Foundation released Gamble Responsibly America, billed as a first-of-its-kind app to address responsible gaming.

During Wednesday’s Entain Sustain ESG Showcase, Martin Lycka, SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain, said the app is part of the U.K.-based gaming company’s approach to good gambling practices.

“In the United States and the Americas, Entain has embarked on a journey to help these newly based markets to achieve long-term sustainability by means of education,” Lycka said during the panel discussion Parallel Worlds? The US and European Responsible Gambling Landscapes.

The showcase served as forum for the U.K.-based gaming company’s approach to sustainability, responsible gambling, and community and sporting investment.

Gaming operators in the U.K. and Europe have long implemented responsible gaming measures to adhere to regulatory conditions imposed by governing bodies. But in the U.S., what Lycka called “the breathtaking and relentless pace” of sports betting and online gaming is unique.

“I think the U.S. is fortunate in that we can learn from these more mature markets,” said Jennifer Shatley, a research assistant at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute and a principal consultant with Logan Avenue Consulting in Henderson, Nevada. “We also in the U.S. have the advantage of being able to have these types of conversations about social responsibility and sustainability at the outset. That gives us the opportunity to implement sports wagering and online gaming in a responsible manner.”

EPIC Risk Management Vice President, US Policy and Strategic Development Brianne Doura-Schawohl agreed that the pace of regulation for online gaming is “unprecedented.”

“Going from 2018 (after the repeal of the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act) to current day with 34 jurisdictions, it’s been rapid to say the least,” Doura-Schawohl said. “We’re seeing a very fractured approach to responsible gambling. There are some states that are taking this head on and ensuring that there’s proper funding and support for responsible gambling initiatives. On the other hand, there are states that have done nothing and have really relied upon the industry or community partners to fill those gaps.”

Gaming operators also need to be responsible for the content and language used in promotions and enticements to gamblers. Alan Feldman, a Distinguished Fellow in Responsible Gaming for UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, says he cringes when he sees advertisements promoting risk-free bets.

“It just scares the hell out of me because every bet is full of risk,” Feldman said. There’s risk in every bet, of some kind, and trying to promote it that way just feels very, very shaky, that you’re going to have more fun, that the game is going to be more interesting.”

Jeffries International Head of Travel & Leisure Research, Co-Head of UK Small & Mid Cap Research James Wheatcroft wrote in a statement that Entain Sustain demonstrated how technology, external research and expertise, collaboration, and transparency “can drive an effective ESG agenda.

“(Entain’s) tech forte has developed online tools (ARC) to intervene in problem gambling to proactively address the 0.3% of UK population with an issue. We think that regulators will need to recognize that online data, coupled with appropriate tech intervention, is capable of protecting consumers to avoid tighter regulation.”

Rege Behe is lead contributor to CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at rbehe@cdcgaming.com. Please follow @RegeBehe_exPTR on Twitter.