AGA Webinar: Innovation Drives New Era in Responsible Gaming
Shifting Perspectives in Responsible Gaming
The American Gaming Association (AGA) recently hosted a webinar spotlighting how innovation is key to advancing responsible gaming. This event emphasized that the gaming industry is continuously evolving its approach to responsible play, integrating innovative solutions to better protect players.
Joe Maloney, AGA’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications, highlighted how the industry’s persistent drive to launch new products parallels its efforts to develop smarter and more effective player protection tools.
Throughout the 45-minute discussion, panelists reiterated that operators are leading these advancements by embedding responsible gaming initiatives into their core business practices.
From Compliance to Core Design Principle
Tasos Dagkos, General Manager of Responsible Gameplay at Aristocrat Group, explained a significant shift in mindset around responsible gaming. Instead of treating it merely as a regulatory requirement, Aristocrat now prioritizes it as a fundamental design consideration. Their focus starts with asking: how can products encourage safer and sustainable gaming?
Jessica Feil, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance at OpenBet, supported this view, noting the demand from both players and operators for comprehensive, user-friendly solutions. She pointed out that with the growth of digital gaming, it’s essential to move beyond basic compliance towards innovative tools that enhance player protection.
Dr. Jennifer Shatley, Executive Director of the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), stressed that responsible gaming should be seamlessly integrated into the player’s experience, rather than treated as an isolated aspect of gaming.
Enhancing Operations Through Responsible Gaming Tools
The panel also addressed concerns about profitability in relation to responsible gaming efforts. Tom Mace from Sportradar noted that such fears are diminishing as companies recognize how responsible gaming solutions can actually improve operational performance. He cited Bettor Sense, Sportradar’s responsible gaming tool, which integrates with their suite of AI-driven technology for risk management and marketing.
Dr. Shatley highlighted the collaborative efforts behind ROGA, which receives support from major industry players like Bally’s, Bet365, BetMGM, and FanDuel. This collaboration fuels the development of advanced responsible gaming practices.
Jessica Feil concluded by emphasizing the importance of regulators understanding the underlying data science. This understanding helps create tailored responsible gaming products, enabling internal teams to effectively identify issues and take timely action.
