Five Pennsylvania Operators Form New Gambling Association

Five PA online casinos have taken their focus on responsible gambling up a notch, getting together to form a new responsible gambling association. These are BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, FanDuel, and PENN Entertainment. Two other operators from outside the Keystone State, Hard Rock Digital and Bet365, are also founding members of the association.

$20 Million Budget Towards Enhancing Responsible Gambling

The newly formed Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) has pledged to promote responsible online gaming by supporting independent research, sharing best practices, and driving consumer and industry education and awareness. 

The association is headed by Dr Jennifer Shatley as executive director, who comes with a 25-year long experience in the realm of responsible gambling. She has also served as President on the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, with a strong background in advocacy.

In a press statement on the ROGA website, Dr Shatley confirmed a $20 million budget set aside by the association to “ensure the wellbeing of the customer base” and “enhance the [responsible gambling] programs”. 

The aim is to launch an Independent Certification Program whereby operators will undergo evaluation by independent parties. The evaluation, which will be based on a set of specific criteria, will determine whether their responsible gambling program is robust enough and which areas need enhancing. The process will also look at implementing and developing best practices that are evidence driven.

Breaking down ROGA’s objectives, the association’s mission statement lays down the following goals:

• To fund rigorous academic research 
• To develop an independent certification program that will assess operators’ responsible gaming efforts based on defined criteria. 
• To promote evidence-based best practices
• To support the creation, via an independent data clearinghouse, of a database which will facilitate information sharing – allowing a mechanism for industry-wide protection of consumers.
• To drive education and awareness initiatives aimed at consumers and the industry.