The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is evaluating how regulated sports betting markets across the country protect consumers.
The NCPG has released a report, U.S. States’ Online Sports Betting Regulations: An Evaluation Against National Council on Problem Gambling Standards, providing an analysis of how regulated markets adhere to their laws and regulatory frameworks.
The report, prepared by Vixio Regulatory Intelligence, uses public information from states and their regulatory agencies. It does not include data on RG practices by operators.
“This report is the first time that state sports betting laws and regulations have been evaluated against the NCPG’s Internet Responsible Gambling Standards,” said Executive Director Keith Whyte. “With the widespread adoption of legalized sports betting, NCPG felt there was a need for a report comparing sports betting laws and regulations to the IRGS.”
The Internet Responsible Gambling Standards (IRGS) provide guidance in gaming-related policy, staff training, ads, research, player assistance and self-exclusion.
The IRGS, revised in December 2023, outline 82 player protection standards that regulated states should attempt to adhere to. The standards provide states with direction on best practices in areas ranging from knowing your customer to time and budget management. The IRGS also provides guidance for governance and fair play.
NCPG provides insights.
The NCPG’s report includes data from 30 regulated U.S. online sports betting markets, including the District of Columbia.
Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia led all markets in adhering to IRGS benchmarks with each of the states meeting 49 of the 82 standards. The three states deploy regulatory frameworks that provide detailed requirements for annual staff training that includes identifying problem gambling. The states also separate themselves from the rest of the pack through age verification requirements and marketing toward adult-only audiences.
Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia have been regulated markets for over three years.
The study reported nine states that met between 25 and 39 of the IRGS standards. The states were Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon and Vermont. The markets touch on key areas for regulations including self-exclusion and budget management but failed to expressly cover staff training and customer support.
The NCPG’s study saw 11 markets not surpassing 25 of the IRGS’ standards. The states were Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Nevada, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wyoming. The results showcase a substantial gap between states that adhere to the majority of IRGS standards and those that don’t come close. The states failed to expressly cover proper governance practices and protocols regarding staff training. The markets, except for Nevada, also fell short of supporting informed decision-making by players especially RG tool adoption.
The NCPG is hosting a free webinar on Sept. 24 to further discuss the report’s findings.
NCPG sees eye-to-eye with lawmakers
The council has released its report as lawmakers call for national regulatory oversight.
Earlier this month, Rep. Paul Tonko and Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE) Bet Act. The bill is aimed at implementing a set of federal minimum standards for regulators and operators.
The measure proposes states to apply to regulate sports betting through the Department of Justice. It aims to ban gambling ads during primetime hours and live sporting events. The bill also proposes language restrictions on words like “bonus” and “no sweat.”
