G2E Panel Stresses Responsible Gaming Must Reach Beyond Young Sports Bettors and Sportsbooks
G2E panelists reported that responsible gaming must expand past young sports bettors to address multiple exposure channels, financial anxiety, and early normalization via family and games. Tools such as Know Your Play and Gamalyze provide proactive engagement, but operators alone cannot succeed. Collaboration with parents, broadcasters, and regulators is required.
SCCG Take — This reveals the narrow reach of current operator programs and the need for coordinated preventive education targeting parents and media to reduce risks before they materialize.
Responsible gaming leaders warned at last week’s Global Gaming Expo that campaigns to curb problem gambling cannot remain focused on young sports bettors alone. Expansion of online sports betting has elevated risks for young adults, yet operators cannot address the challenge in isolation. A panel moderated by Jennifer Shatley of the Responsible Online Gaming Association featured executives from DraftKings, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, and the Responsible Gambling Council.
According to reporting by CDC Gaming, the discussion detailed how this younger audience encounters gambling messages across multiple channels. Shatley, whose group represents almost 85% of the legal U.S. online gaming market by handle, noted that responsible gambling principles have evolved dramatically over the past three to five years.
Tools and Messages That Match Young Adults’ Reality
Sarah McCarthy, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council in Toronto, reported that young adults want honest facts about risks, not directives. “When we asked young adults directly, they told us they want facts. They do not want to be told what to do,” McCarthy said. Those tactics do not work for this population.
Brandt Iden, vice president of government affairs for Fanatics Betting & Gaming and a former Michigan legislator, called for engagement on the cohorts’ preferred social-media platforms at their level. Fanatics ties its responsible-gambling tools to free FanCash redeemable across its merchandise and collectibles business. Lori Kalani, chief responsible gaming officer at DraftKings, described a parallel program offering chances at NFL or Super Bowl tickets.
ROGA’s Know Your Play tool, developed with the Responsible Gambling Council, targets college-age users on impulsivity, illusion of control, financial literacy, limit-setting, and digital health. McCarthy cited research showing many in this group carry greater financial anxiety than prior generations and turn to betting as a coping strategy. Kalani highlighted DraftKings’ use of the Gamalyze simulated game from Mindway AI, which delivers personalized feedback on betting tendencies.
The panel traced early gambling exposure to video game mystery boxes, arcade wheels, family lottery tickets, and parents sharing online betting accounts. McCarthy reported that 87% of 18- to 20-year-olds who have gambled say their parents approve, yet nearly none of those parents see the activity as introducing children to gambling.
The Limits of Operator-Led Campaigns
Shatley and the panelists agreed that effective efforts must now enlist broadcasters, leagues, athletes, parents, and regulators to reinforce consistent messages that balance entertainment value with risk awareness. Iden stated the industry welcomes additional participants. “We’re up against tough odds, and we’re working hard, and we need to do better,” Iden said. “But it takes all of us to move the needle on this thing.”
The coverage makes plain one limitation specific to this moment: tools and incentives remain useful but cannot offset the broader cultural and familial pathways that normalize gambling before the legal age. Operators face structural constraints without parallel education aimed at parents and media partners who shape early perceptions.
Reporting: CDC Gaming
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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