Improving gambling technology is essential for keeping players safe and cutting the risk of addiction. It involves creating new tools that help players watch their habits, spot risks early, and find the help they need.
Today, organizations are actively seeking the best solutions to keep players safe. With the help of AI and other technologies, new innovations have made their way into the gambling industry. These advancements are making it easier for organizations to promote responsible gambling and offer better support to players.
How the Laws Affect Responsible Gaming in North America
Gambling in the US and Canada spans from online betting to traditional casinos, offering a mix of lottery, sports betting, and casino games. There’s a big focus on responsible gambling, aiming to keep gambling fun and safe while preventing problems.
Laws and policies are really important for making gambling safer and for bringing in new, safer ways to enjoy it. In both the U.S. and Canada, where you can gamble online depends on where you live, because each place has its own rules.
Canada is among the countries with the highest rates of gambling. It’s up to each Canadian province to set its own rules for online gambling. They have special groups that make sure gambling sites help people gamble responsibly, like by letting them set limits on how much they can bet.
In the U.S., it’s similar but decided by each state. Some states have made online gambling legal and have set up their own rules to keep gambling safe. These rules might include checking that players are old enough to gamble, offering help to those who might have a gambling problem, and allowing people to block themselves from gambling sites if they need to.
Allowing provinces and states to oversee their own online gambling ensures that regulations align with local needs in Canada and the U.S. Following this approach, regulatory bodies can then select appropriate technology to address and prevent gambling issues effectively.
Building Safer Gambling Environments: North American Tech Solutions
Current responsible gambling technologies offer tools that empower individuals to manage their gambling activities effectively. These include options for self-exclusion, allowing users to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling sites for periods ranging from six months to five years, and the ability to take breaks from gambling, with options ranging from one day to three months.
They do not only focus on self-exclusion and breaks in play but also ensure game designs and betting processes are clear and non-misleading. These standards mandate that games do not create false perceptions of skill or speed influencing outcomes and maintain consistent winning spot locations during play. Moreover, there are rules to prevent encouraging continuous or impulsive play, such as prohibiting auto-play features for slots and ensuring a minimum time between game cycles.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in the U.S. is using technology to help prevent gambling problems. They have set up programs like the Internet Responsible Gambling Standards and the Internet Compliance Assessment Program to make sure online gambling sites are safe for players. Another effort, the Responsible Gambling Verification Program, helps gambling businesses make sure they’re doing everything they can to keep gambling responsible.
In Canada, iGaming Ontario plans to introduce a system in early 2024 that lets people choose to block themselves from all regulated online gambling sites in Ontario with one request. The process for selecting the technology provider to implement this system is currently underway, with the bidding process set to conclude in March.
Global Tech Tools Transforming the Gambling Industry
New technology has made gambling safer by introducing tools that spot risky behaviour early and offer personalized advice to help gamblers.
For instance, tools like Wager Score let people track their betting, helping them see how much they gamble. The Tennessee Titans and Wager Score have teamed up for the “Don’t Fumble Your Finances” campaign to encourage responsible betting. Through Wager Score’s platform, sports bettors can access free scores and personalized updates to manage their betting finances safely. This initiative stands out as the NFL’s first team-led effort to introduce affordability checks, aiming to safeguard the financial well-being of fans.
AI is benefiting many industries by making things faster, smarter, and more personal. It helps doctors spot diseases sooner and tailor treatments, allows banks to fight fraud, keeps factories running smoothly, and makes shopping online more tailored for consumers. AI’s potential is also making a big impact in the gambling industry.
Award-winning tool Mindway AI uses artificial intelligence to check gambling patterns and suggest when someone might need to take a break. Their product, GameScanner offers a tool that automatically identifies players who may be starting to gamble in risky ways. This lets gambling companies offer help early, preventing gambling habits from becoming serious issues.
Challenges and Opportunities
Integrating responsible gambling technologies comes with its challenges, such as adapting these tools across varied gambling platforms and laws, and ensuring players engage with them while maintaining privacy and legal compliance.
However, the reality is that humans will continue to gamble, making it essential to do our best to prevent problems and raise awareness.
Leveraging technology is one of the most effective ways to achieve this in today’s world, offering significant opportunities to create safer gambling environments, encourage responsible gambling, and help players enjoy their gambling experience responsibly and within a secure setting.
