Encouraging moderation and financial discipline inside a casino is not easy.
But that’s what Massachusetts workers try to do every day amid the blaring bells and flashing lights of slot machines.
At MGM Springfield in western Massachusetts, employees in green polo shirts stand outside a small office just off the casino floor.
Above that The sign says “GameSense”. The state’s signature program to curb problem gambling. Mounted screens cycle messages such as “Keep sports betting fun. Set a budget and stick to it.”
Employees hand out free luggage tags and travel tissues to encourage people to stop and chat. If successful, customers will be given a brochure listing the state’s gambling hotline number and website. Even There is a program called PlayMyWay. This allows customers to set a monthly spending limit on the amount they gamble.
Outside of casinos, GameSense engages with social media and sports betting app And website. Meanwhile, the state public health department has its own moderation message On buses and billboards.
“This is a big change in 12 years.” Mark Vander LindenOversees Massachusetts’ GameSense program.
Massachusetts’ first casino opened in 2015, and as the gaming industry grew, the state developed a “responsible gaming” program funded by a surtax on gambling industry profits.
At first, state regulatory agency Various strategies have been tried to educate customers about the addictive nature and financial risks of gambling.
“It was much more important to make sure we had a brochure that explained the likelihood of success for any game,” said Vander Linden.
Since then, Massachusetts Additional regulations Let’s take a look at the booming industry that currently includes extensive sports betting. For example, you cannot bet on the University of Massachusetts team and you cannot gamble with a credit card. All gambling companies must allow customers to sign up to a “voluntary self-exclusion list” that would voluntarily set limits and ban them from casino or sports betting over various time intervals.
Patchwork of national policies
Some states have set similar restrictions to curb problem gambling, while others have had few restrictions. Without a national policy or a state gambling commission to oversee the industry, each state operates independently.
A growing number of addiction researchers and policymakers say it is time to take bolder, more unified action to combat gambling disorder. They point out that the gaming industry has exploded since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018. I opened the door for the Lord legalize sports betting And it has sparked an aggressive industry that is now legal in 39 states. (Forty-eight states have legalized at least some form of gambling, including lotteries.)
Compared to the United States, many other countries We have gone much further in terms of regulation. Some experts in the gambling industry and in the United States see them as potential models.
for example, norwegian government They have a monopoly on all slot machines, allowing them to control the types of games on offer, and all gamblers in the country are limited to losses of 20,000 kroner (about $2,000) per month.
at ukMost adults are limited to: Bet 5 pounds (about $7) For every spin on a slot machine, gambling companies are taxed 1%, which goes into the Gambling Disorder Treatment and Prevention Fund.
A report published in a medical journal last year lance It calls on international health leaders to act quickly to regulate gambling disorders before they become widespread and common.
But policy leaders say the United States has less commitment to regulating businesses than many other countries, especially under the Trump administration. At the same time, they warn that doing nothing could pose a serious threat to public health. This is especially true because sports betting apps allow people to gamble anytime, anywhere.
Fear that more gambling means more addiction
Even before online gaming and cell phones were combined, researchers 1% to 2% An additional 8% of Americans already suffer from a gambling disorder. be in danger I’m working on developing one.
Some American politicians fear the problem will get worse.
“The sophistication and complexity of betting has grown tremendously,” the Democratic Party said. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal From Connecticut. “So we need safeguards that allow individuals to say no.”
It was co-sponsored by Blumenthal. How to Bet SafelyA bill that would impose federal standards on sports betting companies.
The bill proposes banning gambling advertising during live sporting events, mandatory “value checks” for big spenders, limiting VIP membership schemes, banning artificial intelligence tracking for marketing and creating a national “self-exclusion” database.
“States cannot protect consumers from excessive and offensive offers and sometimes misleading claims,” Blumenthal said. “They don’t have the resources or jurisdiction.”
The gambling industry strongly opposes the SAFE Bet Act. Federal standards would be a “slap in the face” for state regulators, federal spokesman Joe Maloney said. american gaming association.
“You have the potential to dramatically, one, usurp the authority of the state and two, freeze the industry,” he said.
‘Responsible gaming’ and public health approaches
Maloney said the new regulations are also unnecessary. He said the industry recognizes that gambling can be addictive for some people, which is why it has developed a promotion/awareness plan called “.”responsible gaming.”
This includes messages on buses and billboards warning you to stop playing when it’s no longer fun and reminding you that your odds of winning are very slim.
“There’s a very direct message: ‘You’re going to lose money here,’” Maloney said.
He said his industry group does not collect data on whether such measures reduce addiction rates. But he said restrictions on gambling were not the answer.
“When you suddenly start choosing what can be legal or what can be banned, you’re pushing gamblers out of the legal market and into the illegal market,” Maloney said.
Public health leaders argue the industry’s “responsible gaming” model is not working.
“When the industry is unable and unwilling to police itself, regulation is needed.” Harry LevantDirector of Gambling Policy Public Health Advocacy Institute from Northeastern University Law School in Boston.
One reason the industry’s approach is “ethically and scientifically flawed,” Levant said, is because it places all the blame and responsibility on individuals with gambling disorders. “You can’t say to someone struggling with addiction, ‘Well, don’t do that anymore.’”
Levant raises the issue from personal experience. He is recovering from a gambling addiction. Former lawyer Levant Convicted in 2015 Stealing customers’ money to fund his gambling habit. Since then, he has not only advocated for stronger regulation, but is also a trained addiction therapist.
The American Gaming Association says it supports treatment for gambling disorders and that state taxes help pay for some referral and treatment services. But Levant called it “the moral equivalent of Big Tobacco saying, ‘Let’s do whatever we want with cigarettes as long as it pays for chemotherapy and hospice.'”
Instead, Levant advocates a public health approach that helps prevent addiction in the first place. This means placing limits on the type and frequency of marketing and gambling to everyone, not just those already in trouble.
To make his point, Levant opens his laptop and displays an infomercial produced by Simplebet. DraftKings Subsidiaries.
In the video, the company boasts about getting more people to gamble on sports through microbetting during live games. “We drive fan engagement by turning every moment of every game into a betting opportunity. Powered by automation, algorithms, machine learning and AI,” the voiceover said.
This is the kind of ongoing participation that fosters addiction, Levant said. (Contacted by KFF Health News and NPR, DraftKings declined to comment and instead sent a link. “Responsible Gaming” Program.)
Lawmakers want to ‘stop the worst excesses’ before the next gambling trend emerges
Some of these gambling mechanisms are restricted by the SAFE Bet Act, which Levant and his colleagues at the Public Health Advocacy Institute helped write.
But if the bill doesn’t pass the current regulation-averse Legislature, Levant said the state will have to take strong action of its own.
The Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering:Better Health Method,” which imposes additional rules on sports betting companies.
Massachusetts says the goal is not to completely stop gambling Rep. Lindsay SabadozaCo-sponsor of the bill. “It’s about stopping the worst excesses of online sports betting.”
The Massachusetts bill includes components of federal law, such as mandatory “price checks.” This limits the amount of money some gamblers can lose. The economic feasibility check is modeled on the following: pilot program In England.
“We know you won’t get drunk if you have two drinks, right?” Sabadosa said. “If you can only gamble $100 a day because it’s a reasonable amount, you won’t go broke. You’ll still be able to pay your rent.”
The Bettor Health Act also bans “prop” bets placed during live games, such as who will hit the first shot in basketball or who will hit the first home run in baseball.
but state revenue Sports betting will grow to $2.8 billion in 2024. This is a welcome source of funding for the struggling state budget. These potential tightenings have Levant concerned that state legislatures will shy away from further regulations.
Countries may be tempted by the prospect of additional revenue through new types of gambling, such as “iGaming.” This means online versions of roulette, blackjack and other casino-style games that you can play at any time from the comfort of your home.
IGaming is currently legal in seven states, but legislation is pending in other states. including MassachusettsYou can expand your market.
“We empathize with how difficult it is for states to balance their budgets in the current political climate, but states are beginning to recognize that the answer to that problem is not to push further known addictive products,” Levant said.
This article is part of a partnership with: NPR and New England Public Media.
