Skip to main content
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 26: Some of the more than 400 proposition bets for Super Bowl LI between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots are displayed at the Race & Sports SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on January 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

In what is being described as the first industry-led responsible gaming standards, several major sportsbooks signed on to a 12-point pledge for responsible online gaming.

Bally’s Corporation, BetMGM, DraftKings, Entain, FanDuel, and MGM Resorts International signed on to the agreement, based on the idea that responsible gaming involves four core attributes.

  • We participate only in legal markets that provide consumer protections.
  • We strive to instill 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 individual users need additional tools and support related to their gaming activities.

Of course, the attributes supporting responsible gaming make sense, but if there is a lingering concern over these ideas it is the insistence that gaming should be enjoyed as a form of entertainment. That is the right approach for many, but that could also be a principle used to limit the wagers of successful bettors, who might use gaming as a source of income rather than a form of entertainment.

Until we see how these principles are applied and whether they are used to provide cover for restrictive sportsbook behavior, this is a situation that is worth monitoring.  

Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR.

Here is the 12-point plan to which these companies agreed:

“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 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 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 related to gaming who reasaonbly appear to be above the legal age to gamble;

We provide our customers with tools to play responsibly, including but not limited to self-exclusion tools, financial and other accounts 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 affort to and never play behind 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.”

Naturally, this is something of a public relations exercise but also a necessary step as sports betting becomes legal in more jurisdictions. Focusing on regulations and safeguards that can be put in place helps limit the potential downside to legalized gaming.

It is still fair to question whether any of these principles will lead to restrictions that serve to limit the upside of legalized gaming.  

Sportsbook Reviews

Caesars  |  BetMGM  |  FanDuel  |  DraftKings  |  PointsBet  |  Barstool

Sportsbook Bonuses (U.S. Only)

Caesars  |  BetMGM  |  FanDuel  |  DraftKings  |  PointsBet  |  Barstool

Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.