For most of his career, Keith Whyte has worked staunchly advocating for responsible gambling initiatives. But the former American Gaming Association Director of Research and ex-Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling probably raised a few eyebrows when he was enlisted by FanDuel to serve as a consultant.
Whyte views working with FanDuel as a responsible gambling strategic advisor to be a natural progression in his career.
“If you want to make change, you’ve got to work with the people that provide gambling,” he says during an interview CDC Gaming. “And I’ve found those partnerships to be fruitful. You always have to make sure that you’re transparent, everybody’s got their roles to play. But I think it’s an important part of the equation.”
Whyte, who also is President and CEO of his own consulting agency, Safer Gambling Strategies, has been enlisted by FanDuel to help with existing programs. Notably, he will assist with Fan Duel’s “Trusted Voices: Conversations About Betting,” a campaign that focuses on helping families and parents who want to hold discussions about gambling.
Whyte is cognizant that the industry has come around to embracing responsible gaming practices and programs, with initiatives such as the Responsible Online Gaming Association run by Dr. Jennifer Shatley, its Executive Director
“Jen and I have been in this field for a long time, and we’re starting to see the fruits of some of those seeds that we planted decades ago. … We’ve really seen the industry mature,” Whyte says. “We’ve seen the public debate shift, and the public perception of gambling has shifted, and with that comes a bigger focus on social responsibility than the industry had maybe 20-30 years ago.”
Whyte noted that, previously, issues related to the downside of gambling were ignored or given cursory attention by operators and state governments. He has long argued that their engagement is necessary if problem gambling issues are to be confronted.
“As an advocate, I’ve certainly criticized operators,” he says. “But I also believe engaging with them and bringing them along.
“If you want to see something change, you either complain about it or you take action. And a lot of my role over the past 30 years has been to engage with operators, encourage them, control them, work with them to help them do what’s in their best interests, as well as their customers, as well as the general public. That’s been part of my arc. I think responsible gambling is a win-win for everybody.”
