September 22, 2022 --- The largest online gaming operators in the country have come together to
agree to the first industry-led responsible gaming standards. The 12-point pledge is a commitment to principles of
responsible online gaming and are recommended as the principles for an industry benchmark.
The announcement coincides with this month’s designation as Responsible Gaming Education Month by the American
Gaming Association.
The collaboration includes Bally’s Corporation, BetMGM, DraftKings, Entain, FanDuel, and MGM Resorts
International.
The 12 principles are derived from four core attributes:
- We participate only in legal markets that provide consumer protections.
- We strive to instil responsible gaming culture throughout our respective businesses.
- All forms of online gaming should be a fun activity and enjoyed as a form of entertainment.
- While the vast majority of individuals can enjoy online gaming in a responsible way, some individuals need
additional tools and support related to their gaming activities.
The 12 principles, set out in the appendix, include a commitment to take active steps to prevent underage and
excluded individuals from participating in any form of gaming. Operators commit to providing customers with informed
choices about gaming through easily understood responsible gaming tools, and all entities will continuously conduct
research to track the impact of this collaboration.
Further, the principles include the adoption and effective promotion of a unified nationwide responsible gaming
toll-free helpline, and socially responsible advertising which avoids imagery that might entice minors in its
marketing content.
Other provisions call for “a shared responsibility approach to addressing problem gaming” and a
commitment “to working with policy makers, academic experts and researchers, problem gaming treatment
organizations, advocacy groups and partners” as well as customers to promote responsible gaming and address
problem gaming.
The collaboration also commits to employee training and continuously monitoring operators’ respective
responsible gaming programs and initiatives to ensure their compliance with applicable standards.
“Bally’s is proud to partner with all of the participating operators. We are committed to the
12-point pledge and it’s Bally’s and the industry’s responsibility to prevent underage gaming and
provide education and safeguards," said Robeson Reeves, President of Interactive at Bally’s Corporation.
According to Joshua Jessen, Chief Legal Officer at BetMGM, “Responsible gaming is at the forefront of
everything we do at BetMGM. While we operate in a highly competitive industry, we are proud to stand together with
our colleagues to adopt these important principles. Creating a consistent standard of responsible gaming measures
across the board greatly strengthens our collective commitment to our customers, employees, and the communities
where we operate. We look forward to building on our work into the future.”
DraftKings’ Senior Director of Responsible Gaming Chrissy Thurmond explained, “Essential to promoting
safer play is a framework for operators to guide them in responsible gaming. DraftKings is pleased to be a part of
this landmark effort that has culminated in the adoption of 12 responsible gaming principles across the
participating operators – and that will benefit consumers around the United States.”
Martin Lycka, Entain’s Senior Vice-president for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling,
commended the collaborators for recognizing a national need and committing their respective organizations to action.
“These principles mark an important milestone, and I am delighted other leading operators have joined us in
this commitment to responsible gaming in the rapidly growing U.S. markets, as responsibility sits at the heart of
our business. It’s truly a first for this market and a significant step for addressing problem gaming on a
consistent basis.”
He added, “We have the research, the data, the partners---all the tools to establish an effective nation-wide
code of responsible gaming principles. And we hope our industry and state regulators will join us in advancing these
principles,” he said. “Our patrons deserve it.”
FanDuel’s Adam Warrington, Vice President, Responsible Gaming, added, “FanDuel is committed to
collaborating and partnering with every participating operator, and our entire industry, on these 12 principles of
responsible online gaming. Collectively, we have the privilege and opportunity to set the standard for what it means
to be a responsible operator by leading from the front and collectively enabling our customers to enjoy our
products, responsibly.”
Stephen Martino, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts, said, “Responsibility has
long been a core value at MGM Resorts and guides our leadership in the industry, and it’s vital for
responsible gaming to be reflected in everything that bears the MGM name. Having the industry come together
with a unified approach and standards puts the best interests of our guests, customers, and their families at the
forefront. It’s the right thing to do for our customers, our industry and our businesses.”
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Industry Collaborators’ Statement and 12 Principles for Responsible Online Gaming
The six market-leading operators endorse the following statement and 12 principles for responsible online gaming:
We, the signatories, pledge to observe the following responsible gaming principles across all our online gaming
related activities and to encourage all affiliated third parties, including but not be limited to content
providers, social media influencers, social media accounts and brand ambassadors, to also adhere to these
principles:
- We take active steps to prevent underage and excluded individuals from participating in any form of gaming
within our products;
- We help patrons make informed choices about their gaming. We provide easy to read information about how to
play, provide responsible gaming tools including information on how to access and use such tools; and
provide other related information, including information about a toll-free helpline, as well as resources
for those who are seeking support related to their gaming;
- We support the adoption and effective promotion of a unified nationwide responsible gaming toll-free
helpline;
- We abide by applicable standards of socially responsible advertising, including compliance with all
applicable state and federal laws and standards, and we avoid using minors in marketing content. We only use
actors and company representatives in advertising and social media relating to gaming who reasonably appear
to be above the legal age to gamble;
- We provide our customers with tools to play responsibly, including but not to limited to self-exclusion
tools, financial and other account limits as well as customer betting histories;
- We abide by all self-exclusion rules and regulations, and provide resources to individuals who make the
choice to self-exclude;
- We encourage patrons to set a budget that they can afford to and never play beyond their means, and not view
gaming as a means to financial success;
- We encourage patrons to set time and financial limits on their gaming and stick to them, not to chase
losses;
- We believe in a shared responsibility approach to addressing problem gaming and are committed to working
with policy makers, academic experts and researchers, problem gaming treatment organizations, advocacy
groups, and our partners as well as with our customers to promote responsible gaming and address problem
gaming;
- We support funding for evidence-based problem and responsible gaming research;
- We provide all applicable employees with responsible gaming training upon hire and regularly thereafter, in
order to embed responsible gaming culture in our businesses and
- We are committed to evaluating and continuously monitoring our respective responsible gaming programs and
initiatives.
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About Bally's Corporation
Bally's Corporation is a global casino-entertainment company with a growing omni-channel presence of Online Sports
Betting and iGaming offerings. It currently owns and manages 14 casinos across 10 states, a horse racetrack in
Colorado and has access to OSB licenses in 18 states. It also owns Gamesys Group, a leading, global, online gaming
operator, Bally's Interactive, a first-in-class sports betting platform, Monkey Knife Fight, a daily fantasy sports
site in North America, SportCaller, a leading, global B2B free-to-play game provider, and Telescope Inc., a leading
provider of real-time fan engagement solutions.
With approximately 10,000 employees, Bally's casino operations include more than 15,800 slot machines, 500 table
games and 5,300 hotel rooms. Upon closing the previously announced Tropicana Las Vegas (NV) transaction, as well as
completing the construction of a land-based casino near the Nittany Mall in State College, PA, Bally's will own and
manage 16 casinos across 11 states. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BALY".
About BetMGM
BetMGM is a market-leading sports betting and gaming entertainment company, pioneering the online gaming industry.
Born out of a partnership between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Entain Plc (LSE: ENT), BetMGM has
exclusive access to all of MGM’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online
gaming businesses. Utilizing Entain’s U.S.-licensed, state of the art technology, BetMGM offers sports betting
and online gaming via market-leading brands including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino and Party Poker. Founded
in 2018, BetMGM is headquartered in New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.betmgminc.com/.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports
fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and
launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically
integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming
technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for operators in 17 countries. The company operates iGaming
in 5 states through its DraftKings brand, as well as operating Golden Nugget Online Gaming, an award-winning iGaming
product and iconic gaming brand, in 3 states. DraftKings’ Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail betting
operations in the United States pursuant to regulations in 19 states and in Ontario, Canada. DraftKings’ daily
fantasy sports product is available in 6 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is
both an official daily fantasy and sports betting partner of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA TOUR and UFC as well as an
official daily fantasy partner of NASCAR. Launched in August 2021, DraftKings Marketplace is a digital collectibles
ecosystem designed for mainstream accessibility that offers curated NFT drops and supports secondary-market
transactions. DraftKings also owns Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN), a multi-platform broadcast and content
company.
About Entain plc
Entain plc (LSE: ENT) is a FTSE100 company and a leading global sports-betting, gaming and interactive entertainment
group, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established
brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds, Sportingbet and Sports Interaction;
Gaming Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, GiocoDigitale, Ninja Casino, Optibet, Partypoker and
PartyCasino. The Group operates a proprietary platform across core product verticals and in addition to its B2C
operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis.
The Group has a 50/50 joint venture, BetMGM, a leader in sports betting and iGaming in the US. Entain provides the
technology and capabilities which power BetMGM as well as exclusive games and products, specially developed at its
in-house gaming studios. The Group is tax resident in the UK with operations in over 30 regulated or regulating
territories. Entain is a leader in ESG, a member of FTSE4Good, the DJSI and is AA rated by MSCI. The Group has set a
science-based target, committing to be carbon net zero by 2035 and through the Entain Foundation supports a variety
of initiatives, focusing on safer gambling, grassroots sport, diversity in technology and community projects.
For more information see the Group’s website: www.entaingroup.com
FanDuel’s Commitment to Responsible Gaming
FanDuel believes it is critical to lead from the front on responsible gaming (RG). Every employee maintains a
commitment to protecting our customers as we build an iconic sports brand that people trust. We have built an
industry leading RG approach, including a more than 100-person team of full-time Compliance and RG professionals
focused on strengthening our product across technology, marketing, product development and data analytics.
Additionally, all FanDuel mobile products have in-app tools that allow customers to set time, deposit, and wager
limits. Our Play Well website offers customers a central location to find
support services, information on our RG tools, and more details on our beliefs and approach to RG.
About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500®
global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos,
state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an
extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences
through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 33 unique hotel and
gaming destinations globally, including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. The
Company's 50/50 venture, BetMGM, LLC, offers U.S. sports betting and online gaming through market-leading brands,
including BetMGM and partypoker. The Company is currently pursuing targeted expansion in Asia through the integrated
resort opportunity in Japan. Through its “Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the
Planet”philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to
creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make a bigger difference in the lives of its employees,
guests, and in the communities where it operates. The global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for
being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information, please
visit us at www.mgmresorts.com. Please also connect with us
@MGMResortsIntl on Twitter as well as Facebook andInstagram.
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Contact:
Ethan Andersen, Partner, PSC
ethan@princetonsc.com
732-207-6771