In the United States and the PointsBet USA subsidiary of global online sportsbook operator PointsBet Holdings Limited has announced that it will be launching a research initiative in partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling.

The Denver-headquartered firm used an official Monday press release to declare that the campaign is to be focused on operators’ responsible gambling decision-making processes so as to better ascertain how ‘various industry, government and clinical stakeholders’ would respond to a range of fictitious scenarios involving demonstrations of potentially problematic behaviors.

Planned poll:

PointsBetUSA revealed that the initiative will see the National Council on Problem Gambling conduct an anonymous survey in partnership with the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health during the four-day National Conference on Gambling Addiction and Responsible Gambling 2022, which is set to kick off in Boston from tomorrow afternoon. The firm also disclosed that it expects more than 700 respondents to voluntarily take part so as to better understand the way operators approach issues dealing with problem gambling.

Care charge:

Johnny Aitken (pictured) serves as the Chief Executive Officer for PointsBet USA and he used the press release to declare that legalized retail and online sportsbetting has expanded rapidly across the United States following the 2018 revocation of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) with the local industry now obliged to show ‘a commitment to responsible gambling’ so as to aid ‘the future health of players and sustainability of the industry’.

Read a statement from Aitken…

“Navigating how to identify and address problem gambling is a complex and sensitive issue and operators are regularly faced with how to best respond to customers who are exhibiting problematic gambling behaviors. Through this research project, we’re aiming to gain more insights on the thought processes that go into finding solutions for those impacted by problem gambling as well as better help inform operator decision-making on this matter.”

Proxy procedure:

PointsBet USA offers a range of sportsbetting entertainment to punters in ten American states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado and New York and it divulged that the coming survey is to showcase a trio of fictional punters potentially demonstrating problematic gambling behaviors. The company asserted that respondents are to subsequently be asked ‘to take on the role of an operator’ and come up with ‘the best course of action for these customers based on the observed behaviors.’

Admirable aim:

For his part and the Executive Director for the National Council on Problem Gambling, Keith Whyte, used the press release to proclaim that his non-profit organization is the sole enterprise of its kind in the United States ‘that seeks to minimize the economic and social costs associated with gambling addiction.’ The figure moreover noted that the results of the upcoming survey are to be made available those who attended the National Conference on Gambling Addiction and Responsible Gambling 2022 alongside the general public from September.

A statement from Whyte read…

“Online gambling operators are required to provide various responsible gambling tools that should be regularly reviewed and evaluated by stakeholders to ensure they are adequately serving customers. Our hope is that the results of this survey will spark dialogue amongst operators as well as regulators, treatment providers, researchers and problem gambling advocates to help inform the responsible gambling decisions that online gambling operators face.”