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Tables are reserved prior to the DraftKings All-American Team Cup as we look at the details surrounding DraftKings first ever Chief Responsible Gaming Officer
Tables are reserved prior to the DraftKings All-American Team Cup on July 3, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images via AFP.

Responsible Gaming initiatives continue to grab headlines for our best sports betting sites in the growing North American legal sports betting scene. DraftKings has broken new ground by hiring its first Chief Responsible Gaming Officer.

It was announced Monday that Lori Kalani has been tabbed to take on the new role with DraftKings Sportsbook. From now on, her role with the company will focus on promoting and implementing player safety and protection measures related to the sports betting giant. 

According to DraftKings CEO and co-founder Jason Robins, who she will report directly to, “Responsible gaming is one of our top priorities and it is a core part of our mission to build games that our customers can enjoy responsibly. In this leadership role, Lori will further advance our responsible gaming initiatives and uphold our commitment to setting new industry standards."

Who is Lori Kalani?

Lori Kalani brings a wealth of experience in various companies to her new role as DraftKings' Chief Responsible Gaming Officer. As the first to take on such a role in the expanding U.S. legal sports betting industry, her inevitable moves will be scrutinized.

Kalani arrives in her new role as a former partner at Cozen O’Connor law firm. She has experience in social media and has, in the past, been co-chair of the State Attorneys General portion of her practice.

Kalani also brings experience in gaming, hospitality, telecommunications, and healthcare into her new role.

Her diverse experience and ability to coordinate with lawyers, state attorney generals, and regulators in various states made her a good choice to carve out the newest role in the American iGaming industry.

Kalani said of her new appointment, “Joining DraftKings represents an exciting opportunity for me to bolster the efforts of the company and look for opportunities to reinforce our responsible gaming initiatives. I am eager to partner with colleagues, regulators, industry leaders, and community advocates to further demonstrate DraftKings’ commitment to responsible gaming and promote a healthy gaming environment for all customers.”

Continuing the Responsible Gaming focus

DraftKings has been at the forefront of Responsible Gaming initiatives across the country and will likely prove to be a groundbreaker with its latest hire. Kalani's presence, it is hoped, will “further cultivate DraftKings' dedication to best-in-class consumer safety and protection practices.”

Just last month, DraftKings, one of our best sports betting apps, built on an existing relationship with Kindbridge Behavioral Health that will improve access to therapy solutions and treatment options for those who have self-excluded from the site and have been identified as suffering from problem gambling. Mental health assessments and personalized Kinbridge became more readily available to DraftKings users on April 1.

That initiative will run across all 25 states in which DraftKings has a presence and the Ontario sports betting scene, Canada's only legal sports betting jurisdiction.

DraftKings also launched ‘My Stat Sheet,’ a new responsible gaming tool to help bettors make more informed decisions on their wagers. My Stat Sheet also aims to increase its focus on Responsible Gaming. Interested users can check it out while making sure of our DraftKings promo code.

Future access?

DraftKings' Responsible Gaming moves should help the company with its desire to not only expand its legal sports betting platforms beyond the 25 states it already has a presence in but also with its online casino, which is only available in a handful of states across America.

Having a plan of how to address problem gambling will make DraftKings a more attractive option for those states looking at bringing a robust iGaming platform to their jurisdictions. 

Its latest moves toward responsible gaming also sets a massive and important precedent for all other providers in the bustling U.S. market.