Sports Betting Giants Team Up to Form Responsible Gambling Group ROGA

Seven of the largest sports betting companies are teaming up to promote responsible gambling and share resources designed to combat problem gambling.

FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, PENN Entertainment (ESPN Bet), Fanatics, Hard Rock, and bet365 will form the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) according to a Wednesday announcement. Part of their alliance will see them share insights and data for the first time.

The group will be led by Dr. Jennifer Shatley, a 25-year veteran of the industry and former executive who devoted her time to championing responsible gambling.

The seven founding members of ROGA are responsible for a combined 85 percent hold on the legal online sports betting market in America.

Part of their commitment to their new endeavor saw them pledge more than $20 million in initial funding. Together, they will tackle a variety of subjects, including education for gamblers, responsible promotion and advertising, standards for operations, and more.

The collaboration between the members will result in the creation of a shared database that will contain information about consumer protections, though the exact framework of that is unclear.

The group will also establish a certification process to ensure that its members are upholding the responsible gambling standards that are at the essence of the union. Each operator will be incentivized to participate in the process.

“I’m incredibly excited to move this forward and to really do some impactful things and to really expand the knowledge through the research and to create these evidence-based best practices and to really empower players with information,” said Shatley. 

“Together, our members will work alongside researchers, experts, regulators and stakeholders to promote responsible online gaming and maximize our efforts to support additional responsible gaming education and awareness,” Shatley continued. “By coming together with a clear set of objectives, ROGA and our members will work to enhance consumer protections and help provide easier and more efficient access to responsible gaming tools for consumers to enjoy the entertainment of online gaming.”  

The National Council on Problem Gambling said that an estimated two million adults are considered to display severe problem gambling behaviors. An additional five million-eight million also suffer from a moderate or mild gambling problem.

ROGA defined its mission in five pillars centered around the idea of responsible gambling. Those pillars are: 

• Research: Advocating for and funding research into a variety of areas, such as the effectiveness of various procedures.
• Promoting responsible gambling: Encouraging the enforcement of the best industry standards.
• Consumer and industry awareness: Bringing awareness of responsible gambling to consumers, operators, and industry members.
• Independent data: Collaborating with the founding members to create a central database with information related to consumer protection and responsible gambling.
• Certification: Assessing members' buy-in and responsibility with an independent program.

There have been a variety of efforts made to scale the efforts of responsible gambling groups and initiatives in America. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) said the current climate of legal sports betting is a “public health crisis” and introduced a variety of measures designed to help combat the negative effects and reel in the industry, particularly its advertising.

The country is also dealing with two major betting scandals in two of its most popular leagues, the MLB and NBA.

In the MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers star signing and former two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani revealed last week his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole $4.5 million that was used to pay off a gambling debt to an illegal bookie.

ESPN also reported on Monday that Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter was under investigation by the NBA after sportsbooks reported suspicious betting activity related to his prop lines.

Porter, a little-used player on a two-way contract between the NBA and its developmental league, left two games within four minutes, citing an eye injury in one and illness in the other. In both instances, the under on his props was the biggest winner of the day, with gamblers attempting to risk as much as $20,000 on his lines.