There have been a number of studies conducted over the years to explore the impact of gambling on both the individual and society. The results, when viewed with open eyes, have consistently revealed that the activity is relatively innocuous compared to other things (alcohol consumption can be much more damaging, both from a financial and a health perspective), and a new study is beginning that looks to provide more insight on two specific areas of the gambling ecosystem, online and sports gambling. The study is getting underway now and is expected to be one of the most detailed investigative operations conducted on the subjects.
The International Gaming Institute (IGI) of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) is leading the research with the help of GVC Foundation US, a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible gambling. The study will explore the structure of the gaming market in the US in order to develop solid guidelines for the implementation of regulations that can provide clear oversight for gambling and sports integrity. GVC Foundation US is a subordinate entity created by the GVC Global Foundation and gaming operator GVC Holdings.
Explains Alan Feldman, Distinguished Fellow in Responsible Gaming at IGI and chair of the International Center for Responsible Gaming, “Effective public policy is always best served by an evidence-based approach to its creation. In order to provide the necessary player protections as well as ensure a stable and well-regulated marketplace, policies should be based on sound research evidence rather than opinion or conjecture. It is our hope to contribute to the body of knowledge in this area so that the public can benefit from this activity and whatever harms may arise can be minimized to the greatest extent possible.”
Now is the perfect time to be introducing this study. Sports and online gambling have become hot-button topics over the past couple of years, and the interest has only increased with the presence of the coronavirus. As the US begins to emerge from the pandemic, it has already been made clear that more states could consider legalizing the activity in order to raise revenue and the information contained in this study will be vital to how laws and regulations are crafted.
The initial findings will be revealed at the end of this month. After that, following a thorough examination of existing operations and impacts, a more substantial report will be disseminated sometime during the last quarter of the year. IGI is the perfect target to create a study like this, given its long history of serving the gaming industry. It has spent the past 25 years developing research and offering detailed solutions for the space, and has been brought in as an expert body to provide recommendations to over 50 different jurisdictions around the world.
The executive director of IGI, Bo Bernhard, states, “At IGI, we take pride in putting together ‘dream teams’ to conduct independent, scientific evaluations of the big questions of the day, including whether and how to pursue legalization of online wagering and sports wagering in the U.S. The good news is that research teams from all over the world have been advancing our understanding of the key issues at play here, and we look forward to providing a critical evaluation of these research findings to help policymakers make the best decisions possible.”
