Lawmakers from states with legal sports betting have sketched out a bare-minimum blueprint for responsible gambling that their counterparts in unopened markets may choose to follow.
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) announced Friday that it had “unanimously adopted a resolution to help states develop robust responsible gaming standards.”
That help comes as states such as Kentucky and North Carolina are in the midst of implementing legal sports betting, and others, such as California and Texas, may still be years away. The council's recommendations could play a role in those states and in those that have already legalized sports betting and iGaming.
A long time coming
NCLGS spent more than two years researching and developing the resolution. The council consists of lawmakers who have a role in overseeing gambling in their state legislatures and who meet regularly to discuss gambling-related issues.
Their resolution contains more specific suggestions for states considering the legalization of retail or online sports betting sites, such as advertising rules ensuring marketing is aimed only at those of legal age and monitoring systems in place for third-party affiliate content.
The resolution also calls for programs that allow players to ban themselves temporarily or permanently and for coordination between states when it comes to those lists of excluded gamblers. NCLGS wants to see a single accredited national problem gambling helpline number within all states as well.
“The extraordinary, ongoing expansion of gaming into new forms across multiple states demands that lawmakers take necessary steps to protect their most vulnerable citizens,” NCLGS President-Elect Shawn Fluharty, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, said in a press release. “This resolution will help them meet that critical goal.”
