SETTING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS FOR PLAYER PROTECTION

WITH THE 2023 PLAYER PROTECTION SYMPOSIUM set to take place in New Jersey in May, SBC Leaders caught up with Martin Lycka, Entain’s SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, to discuss post-PASPA progress on consumer protection issues

BY MARTYN ELLIOTT

Having spent more than a decade working in the European sports betting and igaming industry before relocating to the US in 2021, Lycka is one of the best-known figures in the world of responsible gambling. He is also uniquely well placed to offer an informed assessment of the North American approach - and it’s fair to say that he’s impressed by what he has seen so far.

“I'm delighted to report that there are an ever increasing number of states, led as always by New Jersey, that have introduced, or are in the throes of introducing, robust responsible gambling standards,” he said.

“This theme will definitely be reiterated and replicated going forward, and we’ve already seen Ohio, Colorado, Massachusetts and New York look at beefing up their responsible gambling practices. So I believe that, ultimately, it will spread across all the states that have regulated sports betting or igaming.”

Lycka is also full of praise for the regulators he has encountered in North America, who have “an open door policy and are always prepared to have a chat and listen”.

There is, of course, still plenty of work for legislators, regulators and operators to do. As the individual state markets start to mature and the focus switches from the dash for player acquisition to the long-term impact of legal online gambling, new issues have begun to spring up.

Some of the challenges will be familiar to European audiences, such as a negative narrative in the established media putting pressure on regulators and operators, but others are unique to the US. Chief among them is how to manage the relationship between sports betting and high-profile college sports.

While many states have adopted a largely positive attitude to wagering on college sports, as long as the right measures are in place to protect the athletes and their fellow students, others such as New Jersey and Massachusetts have chosen to impose restrictions. Lycka strongly favours the more liberal approach.

“Firstly, I'm of the view that allowing betting on college sports in a controlled environment and subject to robust sports integrity controls is preferable to banning it,” he said. “By permitting betting, there are even more pairs of eyes - in this instance, the operators that keep a very close eye on those matches - to help protect the key asset of the game itself.

“Secondly, together with EPIC Risk Management, the Entain Foundation US has launched a programme that gives lived experience responsible gambling classes to colleges up and down the country, as well as to the NCAA itself. The programme has provided this education in more than 60 colleges already, including household names such as Clemson and Auburn, and we intend to grow it.”

The work with EPIC is just one of many projects that the Entain Foundation US has backed since the London-listed gambling giant launched the nonprofit in September 2019, with Lycka as its chair and former New York Giants star Amani Toomer and international gambling regulatory expert Bill Pascrell III among the trustees.

Allowing Betting On College Sports In A Controlled Environment And Subject To Robust Sports Integrity Controls Is Preferable To Banning It

“Entain is investing in a research project with the Division on Addiction at Harvard Medical School,” explained Lycka. “In the field of research, we've also been working very closely with UNLV and, sticking to the theme of the university space, we've been one of the driving forces behind the Seton Hall gambling compliance bootcamp here on the East Coast.

“Besides that, we've set off on a course to educate both professional and amateur student athletes. In addition to our work with the NCAA, we have partnered with the NFL Players Association and MLS Players Association, and we're talking to the other leagues about joining the programme.”

In addition to that wide-ranging education project, the Foundation has teamed up with Kindbridge, My Wager School, the National Council on Problem Gambling and Nicasa Behavioral Health Services to launch the Gamble Responsibly America app.