BetMGM will be the first sports app to utilize PlayPause, a new multi-state responsible gaming tool that will operate across state lines in the United States.
The deal was announced Tuesday by United Kingdom-based GVC Holdings, the 50-50 joint venture partner with MGM Resorts International in BetMGM’s parent, Roar Digital.
PlayPause marks GVC’s first initiative in the U.S. as part of its new Sustainability Charter, which was unveiled on Nov. 12. The program includes a $132 million donation from GVC over the next five years that will support communities and help raise standards in responsible gaming around the world.
“We are delighted to be the first official partner of PlayPause,” said GVC CEO Shay Segev. “We believe the most responsible operator will be the most successful operator, and PlayPause’s innovative, multi-state approach to responsible gaming in the U.S. aligns with our firm commitment to providing our customers with the safest and most enjoyable experience possible.”
PlayPause is available via Conscious Gaming, a non-profit organization established by GeoComply, which announced the product in September as part of Responsible Gaming Week.
GeoComply Chairwoman Anna Sainsbury, who also serves as Conscious Gaming’s trustee, said having BetMGM and GVC provided a “fantastic endorsement for the PlayPause initiative. As an industry, it’s only by working together with all stakeholders that we’ll be able to ensure players have the necessary tools to foster responsible play.”
PlayPause features include:
- Self-exclusion protection as players move from state to state, rather than being limited to the state in which they are typically based.
- Adding additional data on players who have already self-excluded in one state but need to be recognized and protected for play in another jurisdiction.
- Added efficiency through eliminating the silos associated with maintaining numerous separate state-operated self-exclusion databases.
“A multi-state approach to responsible gaming is an important step for the industry and advances consumer protection in a meaningful way,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “We’re delighted to play a leading role in collaborating on this important and timely initiative.”
GVC, which is in the process of being renamed Entain, has been working on responsible gaming efforts in the U.S., including funding a multi-year research program into addictive behaviors with Harvard University. GVC is also part of the U.S. National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) President’s Circle.
BetMGM launched sports betting in Tennessee this month, marking the company’s seventh state, joining Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.
During the summer, Roar Digital said MGM Resorts and GVC had committed to a second round of investment into BetMGM to boost the sports betting and iGaming operation.
The investment now totals $450 million. Roar Digital now has amassed more than $370 million of investable capital, in an effort to compete in the expanding U.S. sports betting and iGaming markets.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
