A safer gambling superhero

Available for free via the App Store and Google Play Store, it contains a host of useful information about responsible gambling and advice on how bettors can help themselves if they encounter any signs of problem gambling behaviour.

One of the channels used to promote the app has been the Foundation’s sponsorship of ex-New York Knicks star Charles Oakley’s ‘Oak Out Hunger’ community project, a step that has helped to take the safer gambling message to deprived communities.

At a slightly more frivolous level, the work with the NBA All-Star has given Lycka an unexpected alter ego. He explained: “We’ve launched a set of responsible gambling superheroes, including Oakley as ‘Charles, the Limits Enforcer’ and me as ‘Martin, the RG Preacher’. Players will be seeing the full set across the app soon.”

Lycka is understandably proud of the impact of the work undertaken by Entain and its Foundation in the responsible gambling space, but he is also quick to pay tribute to the efforts of the competition.

Entain is one of a group of leading US-facing operators - alongside BetMGM, MGM Resorts International, DraftKings, FanDuel and Bally’s - to have agreed to and published a set of responsible gambling principles that they will abide by. The group is now working on recruiting other major operators and strengthening those principles, which extend to prevention, research and treatment support.

“That work has been picked up and the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States is now working on a resolution of its own. I’ve been working quite closely with them on it and they’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from the operators’ principles,” said Lycka. “But it’s two-way traffic and we may want to draw inspiration from their document when it’s published this summer.”

With operators and regulators largely on the same page, Lycka believes that the approach to responsible gambling in the US is “really all coming together” and that all the hard work will benefit the industry.

“Just like in Europe and all around the world, Entain strongly believes that the only way of achieving long-term sustainability of the US markets is by means of deploying and ultimately enforcing very strong consumer protection controls,” he concluded. think about frequency and think about what we promote. There’s already been a step away from constantly offering free bets, which I believe is for the best, but the industry needs to make sure that it is sensible about advertising moving forward.”

One possible stormcloud on the industry horizon is New York Congressman Paul D. Tonko’s ‘Betting on our Future Act’, a federal bill that seeks to ban radio, television and online advertising by sportsbooks. While Lycka recognises that the gambling advertising landscape is far from problem-free, he does not view Tonko’s proposal as providing the solution.

Legislators in states including New York and Massachusetts have, at relatively early stages of their regulated markets being live, begun to tighten rules around advertising. Lycka’s hope is that any further changes will not inadvertently curb operators’ ability to use marketing as an education tool.

“Advertising can go a long way towards addressing the concerns the likes of Congressman Tonko and others may have as, used in the right way, it’s a great channel to convey responsible gambling messages,” he said.

“I strongly believe, and it goes beyond advertising, that bans in this space are counterproductive because they only drive consumers into the welcoming arms of the black market,” he explained.

“Having said that, the industry does need to think about introducing a further element of reason to its adverts. What I mean by that is that we should

“Not only does it provide the opportunity to educate consumers about why they should choose a legitimate licensed operator to bet with and how they can gamble in a safe and sustainable way, it is also a chance to utilise big personalities who have chosen to become champions of responsible gambling. Sports fans will really listen to a message delivered by Amani Toomer, the Manning brothers or Charles Oakley.” •