States Fail To Meet Online Gambling Safety Standards, NCPG Report Reveals

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) — a group that takes great pains to state its neutrality on the subject of gambling itself — has issued a report on the state of online responsible gambling, specifically centered around how states are managing player protection standards in the realm of online sports betting.

And if the findings were graded like a high school class, the states would be looking at some summer school.

The analysis — U.S. States’ Online Sports Betting Regulations: An Evaluation Against National Council on Problem Gambling Standards — compared how 30 states and the District of Columbia were doing on the matter of player protection standards the NCPG created in 2012 (and continuously update).

The benchmarks — known as the Internet Responsible Gambling Standards (IRGS) — “reflects best practices in responsible gambling, emphasizing safeguards for individuals who may be vulnerable to developing gambling problems,” according to an NCPG press release.

And the results?

Not grading on a curve

Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia were most aligned with the IRGS, hitting 49 of the 82 standards laid out in the document. (For those scoring at home, that’s still a failing grade.)

Another seven states (plus D.C.) met 40 or more of the standards: Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

Nine states met between 25 and 39 of the standards: Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Vermont.

And 11 states met between 10 and 24 of the standards: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Nevada, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 

Florida had the lowest score, at 11. 

The report was prepared by Vixio Regulatory Intelligence.

“The IRGS serves as a roadmap for states to utilize when developing sports betting regulations, ensuring that player protection remains the top priority,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the NCPG. “This report reflects the patchwork nature of existing regulations and the significant gaps in consumer protections. We urge legislators and regulators to take immediate steps to close these gaps and work to mitigate gambling-related harm.”

Among the responsible gambling measures the report looked at: governance and policy, staff training, supporting informed decision-making by players, time management, budget management, self-exclusion, customer support, marketing and advertising, and education and treatment. 

The NCPG will host a webinar next Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the report’s findings in more detail. This webinar is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Click here to register or email media@NCPGambling.org.