Individuals grappling with problem gambling face more than just the challenges of their addiction. They confront a system rife with bias, making it significantly harder for them to access necessary treatment compared to those struggling with other dependencies.

Individuals with Gambling Disorder Navigate Inequities in Health Coverage

At the 16th Annual Michigan Problem Gambling Symposium, held recently, University of Oklahoma Law Professor Stacey A. Tovino shed light on the institutional biases encountered by those with a gambling problem. Tovino highlighted how individuals with gambling disorder are often disadvantaged when seeking healthcare through both public health programs and private insurance plans, reported Play Michigan.

According to Tovino, individuals grappling with gambling disorder are often subjected to disparities in health insurance coverage and policies. These disparities manifest in various forms, including limited coverage, lower spending caps, and stricter requirements for outpatient visits and therapy sessions. Remarkably, these obstacles are not typically encountered by individuals seeking treatment for physical ailments.

Tovino emphasized the disparity in coverage between mental health conditions and gambling disorder, noting that insurance companies frequently provide fewer benefits for the latter. She explained that individuals with gambling disorder may receive significantly fewer covered inpatient days or outpatient visits compared to those with physical health conditions requiring similar therapy.

Medical Insurance Companies Fail to Address Gambling Addiction

Moreover, despite efforts to enhance mental health coverage over the years, including through legislation like the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 and subsequent amendments, problem gambling remains inadequately addressed. Despite being classified as an impulse control disorder, akin to other recognized dependencies, insurance companies often exclude coverage for gambling addiction.

The expansion of online gambling further exacerbates the issue, with insurance policies increasingly failing to provide coverage for gambling disorder, specifically targeting online gambling addiction.

In Michigan, where the benchmark health plan lacks explicit provisions for gambling disorder treatment, individuals struggling with problem gambling find themselves particularly disadvantaged. Unlike alcohol or substance addiction, gambling disorder is not universally recognized as a disability, further complicating efforts to secure coverage and support.

Amidst these challenges, Michigan offers various resources for individuals and families affected by problem gambling, including helplines, self-exclusion programs, and support groups like Gamblers Anonymous and Game-Anon.

Last year the Michigan Gaming Control Board(MGCB) announced that it anticipates receiving approximately $51 million in funding for Fiscal Year 2024. This budget allocation is meant to support the MGCB in its efforts to combat illegal gambling, monitor the market, and promote responsible gambling initiatives, including the “Don’t Regret the Bet” campaign.

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Kindred’s flagship Unibet brand has unveiled a new campaign to raise awareness about heart health issues within the cycling community. Called Follow Your Heart, the new campaign represents a partnership between the operator and the Dutch cycling team Tour de Tietema (TDT).

As a part of the initiative, Unibet joined forces with the team to develop an online learning tool in response to the growing concern over heart health issues within the cycling community.

Furthermore, a free and interactive augmented reality experience will feature digital versions of TDT’s owners, Bas Tietema, Devin van der Wiel and Josse Wes who will guide users through an eight-step process to perform resuscitation.

The campaign’s goal is not only to increase awareness of the health problems faced by cyclists but to also increase survival rates by teaching sports fans in the Netherlands and Belgium how to save lives.

The initiative will be promoted by TDT members who will wear a custom exclusive jersey featuring campaign imagery. The TDT-Unibet team already wore the jersey featuring the campaign name on the chest, hearts on the sleeve and eight lifesaving skills on the back during the Tour of Antalya.

Kindred Wants to Teach Fans How to Save Lives

Lennart Kessels, Kinded Group’s general manager for the Netherlands, commented on the initiative, saying that sports are in Unibet’s DNA, which is why Follow Your Heart is a natural fit for the company. Kessels hopes that the campaign will inspire Dutch cycling fans to learn valuable lifesaving skills.

This awareness campaign fits well with our focus on increasing social engagement, and we hope that, together with Tour de Tietema, we can inspire as many Dutch people as possible to complete the AR experience.

Lennart Kessels, GM Netherlands, Kindred Group

Kindred Group’s general manager for Belgium, Dennis Marien, also shared his thoughts, pointing out that this is not the first time Kindred has raised awareness for the eight life-saving skills. Previously, the operator promoted this invaluable skillset together with Club Bruges.

By tailoring this now to cycling, we hope to educate even more Belgians about the importance of these life-saving techniques. As playing responsibly is one of our key focuses, the link to acting responsibly in sports is evident.

Dennis Marien, GM Belgium, Kindred Group

Finally, Bas Tietema, one of the owners of Tour de Tietema, shared his thoughts, providing insight into his motivations behind the campaign. He described himself as a person who always follows his heart but also one who couldn’t help but notice that a less well-functioning heart can make people very insecure. Considering the proliferation of stories about health problems within the cycling world, the need for health awareness became evident to Tietema.

We, within the team, didn’t know how to perform lifesaving actions. With our cycling team, we reach a lot of people, so we wanted to use that reach to draw attention to this current issue.

Bas Tietema, co-owner, Tour de Tietema

In other news, Kindred recently published an update on its Journey towards Zero initiative.

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Pennsylvania’s House Health Committee is set to vote on a measure that would ban smoking at the state’s 17 casinos. Under House Bill 1657, known as the Protecting Workers from Secondhand Smoke Act, all kinds of smoking, including electronic cigarettes, would be banned from casinos, bars and private clubs in Pennsylvania.

The bill seeks to patch a loophole in the Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Air Act that exempts casinos, private clubs, bars and tobacco shops from the indoor smoking ban. Introduced in 2008, the original law allows casinos to designate up to half of their gaming area as a smoker’s area.

However, the original law doesn’t sit well with all casino workers as many claim that the exemption exposes them to secondhand smoke and endangers their health.

Under House Bill 1675, the smoking exemption for casinos, bars and clubs would be eliminated. However, tobacco shops would still be allowed to offer indoor smoking.

Frankel Is Optimistic about the Measure

The bill is promoted by Rep. Dan Frankel, chair of the House Health Committee. The committee will convene in Harrisburg today to vote on the bill but Frankel is fairly confident that the body will pass the measure.

Earlier this month, Frankel said that it is high time to create legislation that doesn’t jeopardize the health of club and casino workers, forcing them to “choose between their paycheck and their health.”

Fifteen years ago, this commonwealth took an enormous step forward in ensuring that our workers are not forced to breathe in toxic smoke — it’s time to finish the job.

Rep. Dan Frankel

Echoing the discussion in New Jersey, Pennsylvanian casinos have expressed their concerns about the measure, claiming that it can hurt their revenues. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, gambling properties remain convinced that smoking bans would alienate casino goers.

However, proponents of the ban in Pennsylvania have pointed out that Parx’s Bensalem casino prohibits smoking and still generates more revenue than its local competitors. In addition, the prohibition the Bensalem and Shippensburg casinos have adopted has significantly bolstered employee morale.

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Amid the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies across the globe, a new form of gambling entertainment emerged, online crypto gambling casinos. While some users buy cryptocurrencies as a form of investment, others would gladly use them to gamble online. Clearly, this raises eyebrows in light of crypto scams and other crypto-related crimes and what happens when such currency is used to gamble online. This is only one of the reasons why some countries do not allow online crypto gambling. The UK is one such country, yet users can freely access such websites and play.

On Tuesday, Sky News released a new report, probing online crypto casinos. The new research uncovered troubling practices that linger within the online vertical. Such include the promotion of crypto casinos by famous individuals such as streamers or social media influencers.

The recent investigation also uncovered that foul play isn’t out of the question, considering that some influencers may be using “fake money” to promote crypto casinos online. Others, the investigation said, may be breaching the established laws in the UK by showing and promoting online how people can access illegal online crypto gambling websites.

Health Secretary Is Worried with the Findings of the New Investigation

The investigation into crypto gambling comes amid changes to the gambling industry in the UK in light of the White Paper on the Gambling Act. Now, according to Sky News, the gambling regulator in the country, the Gambling Commission, may review and investigate the findings of the new research.

Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, was asked about the rise of online crypto gambling in the UK and the implications it may bring such as problem gambling. He responded that the Health Department is worried about the rise of crypto gambling and the increase in gambling addiction. Moreover, the Health Secretary commended the report that probed into illegal online crypto casinos, acknowledging that this was an important investigation.

Barclay revealed that this summer, seven new gambling addiction treatment centers opened their doors. This, according to him “points to the wider challenge that we have as a country in terms of gambling addiction.” Last but not least, Barclay acknowledged the upcoming changes to the gambling sector explaining that there are interesting findings from the new investigation that may be reviewed further by his colleagues.

Earlier this year, in light of the tragic implosion of the Titan submarine and the death of all members on board, a crypto wagering site was criticized for accepting bets. Reportedly, at the time, a blockchain wagering site has seen some $220,000 wagered on the outcome of the tragedy. The questionable gambling activity was ongoing before the news about the death of the crew members and the implosion of the vessel broke out.

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The lottery that operates on behalf of 12 local society lotteries in Great Britain, the Health Lottery, confirmed its plans for a rebranding of its flagship lottery game. On Monday, the lottery revealed that it plans to not only overhaul its brand with a new logo and identity but also implement a new prize structure.

The flagship lottery game has taken a new name, The Big Win, which will be in effect starting with the drawing scheduled for Tuesday night. The rebranded five-times-a-week lottery game has also implemented a new prize structure.

As a part of the change, matching four balls on any draw will now bring a higher prize, the lottery reveals. Previously, matching four balls granted a prize of £250 ($318) and that sum will now increase to £300 ($381).

Most notable is the change regarding the lottery’s Saturday draw. The main prize for its free second chance prize draw was £250,000 ($317,000) previously. However, in light of the changes, that prize will be increased nearly double, to £475,000 ($603,200).

Further changes within the Health Lottery’s rebranding bring a special Mega Monday promotion. That change sees anyone participating in QuickWin on Mondays tap into a £500 ($635) raffle. Moreover, the changes bring in a £500 ($635) raffle for participants in Super Sunday instant win games on Sundays.

Elevating the experience for the players even further, Health Lottery’s players that use direct debit will be entered into a monthly raffle. The automatic participation in the raffle will reward 10 players with £100 ($127) each on a monthly basis.

Rebranding to Help Appeal to More Players

Lebby Eyres, the Health Lottery’s CEO, explained that the increase for the Saturday night free prize draw seeks to boost customer engagement. According to her, the current prize is the highest one a society lottery operator can offer. Eyres added: “Players will be able to win a truly life-changing amount from this weekend’s draw. Though the free second chance prize draw jackpot will almost double, tickets to the main draw will still cost £1.”

“To improve our appeal to players, we’ve increased our Saturday night free prize draw to the highest level possible for a society lottery operator.“

Lebby Eyres, CEO of The Health Lottery

The Lottery’s CEO added that the rebranding seeks to give the draw “its own identity.” She spoke about the expansion of the lottery’s portfolio of games and acknowledged that its main game needed to stand out from its other products. Besides the main game, the Health Lottery offers online instant win games, All or Nothing, as well as QuickWin games.

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After the long-awaited Gambling Act white paper finally saw the light of day, many doctors, campaigners, and politicians quickly shared their disappointment in the proposed measures, calling for additional restrictions. Although the government has given itself a one-year grace period to iron out the final details, significant changes are unlikely.

The Paper Does a Lot of Things Right

After years of delays, the United Kingdom’s Gambling Act white paper is finally out. The document is a definite improvement over the current regulations, offering substantial improvements in troubled areas. Such changes could not come too soon, as rising problem gambling rates magnify the country’s cost of living crisis, threatening its most vulnerable groups.

Overall, all of the White Paper’s proposed updates seem sound. Operators will have to set aside a portion of their profits to fund gambling harm treatment and prevention, additional resources for the Gambling Commission, and introducing a gambling ombudsman seem like fair ideas. Online gambling, in particular, has received significant attention as iGaming operators face significantly improved player protection guidelines.

Critics Urge for Harsher Measures and Faster Progress

Despite the positive changes, many feel the document does not do enough. One of the primary criticisms of anti-gambling advocates is the lack of substantial advertising reforms. While the government denied any proven connection between advertising and gambling addiction, many charities and organizations do not share the same sentiment.

Association of Directors of Public Health VP Greg Fell warned that constantly exposing children to harmful gambling products could have severe long-term consequences. Charity Gambling with Lives shared his viewpoint, stating that a total ban on gambling advertising was the only meaningful way to reduce gambling-related deaths.

“We now need to push… for an end to all gambling advertising… and… do more to make the most dangerous products safer, further reducing stake sizes and play speeds.”

Charles Ritchie, Gambling with Lives co-founder

Aside from gaming advertisements, the UK government’s generous one-year timeline was another substantial point of contention. Many campaigners, public health specialists, and MPs see it as another delay for an already long overdue reform. Consultant psychologist Dr. Matt Gaskell, head of NHS Northern Gambling Service, warned that people would continue suffering without swift and immediate action.

While the white paper proved popular in Parliament, some MPs have urged the government to act with haste and push up the implementation date. The current timeline should allow the Gambling Commission and the DCMS to review the measures and refine any rough edges. However, shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell noted that given enough political will, the legislation could become law much sooner.

“There’s no reason we can’t get all this done by the Summer recess.”

 Lucy Powell, UK shadow culture secretary

Despite criticisms, the government is unlikely to introduce any significant changes. The white paper is the product of years of work and is long overdue. With rising political pressure to hasten its adoption, risking delays for a potential rework is not really an option. Although the document could have done more, it still marks a substantial improvement over current regulations. As to its effectiveness, only time will tell if the critics had a point.

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The Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto is expected to open its doors this summer. The announcement pleased many industry participants and punters were happy with the prospect. However, First Nation considered it part of a behavioral pattern that might threaten its economic health, as more gaming establishments in the area means a more fragmented market share distribution.

First Nation Says Original Agreements Are Disrespected

MSIFN’s Chief Kelly LaRocca said in an interview with CDC Gaming Reports that new casinos in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are eating away from the Great Blue Heron Casino (GBH) market share. GBH is owned by MSIFN and is operated by Great Canadian Entertainment. The operator is also running Woodbine Casino, which is the one being expanded later this summer.

Additionally, according to the interview with CDC Gaming, MSIFN puts this move in context by looking at how gambling expansion in the area leads to reduced market share for GBH. This, in turn, means that the revenue-share agreement that MSIFN and GBH have can hardly be observed in a climate of an expanding gaming scene, shrinking the MSIFN-owned casino’s positions.

Having GBH operated at the level of Great Canadian’s other operations is a cornerstone for the issues raised. The goal that MSIFN laid out for GBH was to have the facility updated, with non-gaming amenities being a special consideration. Furthermore, reopening the 2016 agreement is seen as a necessity at this point, and MSIFN is scheduled for mediation with the government in the summer.

The Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto is – in essence – the expansion of an already existing casino – the Woodbine Casino. Chief LaRocca also listed leaving the Ajax casino open as a sign of continued behavioral trend for the government. The Pickering Casino Resort opened recently, which was also noted by MSIFN as a sign of continued disrespect towards the original agreements of the Natives.

GTA Casino Expansion Causes Controversies

Pickering Casino Resort cost the Great Canadian Group C$500 million (approximately $373 million) and is another instance of the group’s name coming up during the CDC Gaming interview. The gaming and hospitality group assumed GBH operations from the First Nation in 2016. It also operates the slots at Ajax and Woodbine casinos.

The entertainment resort scheduled for later this year is a $1 billion project, which synergizes well with the Woodbine Racetrack to which it’s adjacent. It also fits Great Canadian’s plans for offering the very best entertainment, hospitality and dining available in the area. The Ontario government and the crown corporation (OLG) is also thrilled about the opportunity and the new jobs this creates.

However, it seems that the upcoming Toronto casino resort might also be causing some additional headaches in dealing with the issues that Chief LaRocca raised in the interview. At any rate, Toronto’s gaming scene as a whole is evolving, and the Greater Toronto Area – it seems – is by no means an exception, so dealing with these problems is necessary but also par for the course.

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