The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), a national non-profit organization that seeks to reduce the negative impact of gambling addiction has released a new report, highlighting the lack of responsible gaming practices undertaken by states where online gambling is legal. While more than half the states fail to comply with its Internet Responsible Gambling Standards (IRGS), the rest fall short of meeting the full list of requirements stipulated by responsible gaming practices.
Results From NCPG 2022 Report
On Monday 30th January, the Council released its 2022 report. Upon examining the compliance with its IRGS in states where iGaming is legal, the results revealed that the majority of these states failed to meet the responsible gambling requirements standards for internet gambling activities set by the Council.
The findings from the report titled “US Online Responsible Gaming Regulations: An Evaluation Against National Council on Problem Gambling Standards” were further discussed in a statement released by the NCPG.
There is currently a total of seven US states offering legal online gambling activities. The results from the report showed that regulations in four of the seven states where iGaming is legal fall significantly short of NCPG’s minimum responsible gambling standards. These four major jurisdictions are Nevada, Michigan, Delaware, and West Virginia and they “do not mandate operators to provide players with sufficient responsible gambling protections.” What this boils down to is the failure of these four states to meet the IRGS framework developed by the NCPG.
Does that mean that the other three states are in full compliance with the IRGS framework? The answer is rather worrying. Although the other three states where iGaming is legal – that is, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut – meet the responsible gambling requirements, they only do so partially. As per NCPG’s explanation, the three states cover some minimum, but “still fall short of meeting the full list” of responsible gambling requirements.
This is very concerning, to say the least. Implementing responsible gambling practices has always been a crucial factor, more so recently, where several providers are being licensed to legally operate across the US. Additionally, with so many tempting offers such as $1000 no deposit bonuses or free bets being promoted by casinos and sportsbook operators respectively, there has never been a more pressing time to address the issue.
NCPG Stands By Its Original Role And Continues To Support RG Efforts
Back in 2012, the NCPG developed the IRGS which has been regularly updated through the several changes undergone by the country’s online gambling market. The ultimate aim of these standards is to address the main issues in this regard and to provide the necessary recommendations within the responsible gambling vertical.
Quoting a spokesman for NCPG: “IRGS sets the standard for consumers to ensure whichever operator they choose; they can be confident that the platform has the responsible gambling tools necessary to assist in playing safely.”
According to the Council, gambling addiction can be mitigated by joining forces in education, treatment, research, as well as a public health strategy. Although the results of the new probe are not quite encouraging, the NCPG will pursue its work in supporting responsible gambling efforts as well as make recommendations for every state where iGaming is legal to ensure compliance with the IRGS.
