Janine Robinson

Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Sports betting: keeping the game in gaming

Janine Robinson2

Sports betting: Keeping the game in gaming

Janine Robinson3

In Ontario, Canada Unique funding structure: 2% slots

Ontario PG Helpline

Prevention: Responsible Gambling Council

Research: Ont Problem Gambling Research Centre

Clinical programs and education: PGIO

Consultants to gaming industry; e.g. RG training

Janine Robinson4

Coming up

Ontario government sponsoring online gambling (expected next year)

Sports betting laws to change(?)

PGIO to provide online counselling

And a suite of virtual self-help tools

Janine Robinson5

Ontario adults Low prevalence of PG on sports

Currently no legal online sports betting

No single-bet sports betting

Government-operated/owned “Pro-line”

Pools 4.2% and lotteries 4.3 most common

Bookies: .4% (illegal)

Janine Robinson6

Ontario youth Sports betting is a huge issue and problem

Sports betting most common activity

Online the least common (growing?)

29,000 students have PG

PG prevalence: 2.8%

Youth with PG have concurrent issues• Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (2011)

Janine Robinson7

Janine Robinson8

This involves multiple lenses

The player at various stages of gambling• low risk

• moderate risk

• problematic

The actual product safety/integrity

The gambling environment

Janine Robinson9

In Victoria

Codes of conduct

Betting oversight: VCGR

Industry voluntary measures; e.g. betcare

www.gamblinghelponline.org.au

Janine Robinson10

Sport (betting) is unique

Strong cultural value

Janine Robinson11

Sport has strong cultural meanings

Janine Robinson12

Local, regional, national and international

Janine Robinson13

Sport has strong identity meanings

Janine Robinson14

Being or “becoming” Australian

Janine Robinson15

Sports connects us to history

Janine Robinson16

Sports connects us to history

Janine Robinson17

Role Models

Janine Robinson18

Role models?

Janine Robinson19

Positive values: Perserverance

Janine Robinson20

Sports can be joyful

Janine Robinson21

Janine Robinson22

The Underdog

Janine Robinson23

Sportsmanship and teamwork

Janine Robinson24

Sportsmanship

Janine Robinson25

Who is Responsible for RG?

bettor provider

regulator

Janine Robinson26

Who is Responsible for RG?

bettor

•Assumes individual responsibility/ability•Can = moral weakness approach•Blaming

Janine Robinson27

Who is Responsible for RG?

regulator

•Public health mandate

•Distribute taxes

•Provide protection for most vulnerable

•Detractors: “nanny state”

Janine Robinson28

Who is Responsible for RG?

provider

•Competing demands:

•marketing, promotion, revenue and RG

•RG affects the bottom line

Janine Robinson29

All essential to a culture of RG

bettor provider

regulator

Janine Robinson30

RG can reduce future incidence of PG

But does not provide the solution to PG

Some people cannot succeed in practicing the public health messages

These people need secondary and tertiary care; i.e. accessible professional PG treatment

Government, industry and treatment must work together

Janine Robinson31

Forecasting

Online and single-sports betting in Ontario

Online environment attractive to educated males

Prevention messages about odds/point spread

Keeping the game in gaming

Janine Robinson32

Virtual self-help tools Professional, confidential and free

Accessible

Technologically cutting-edge

Targeted

Janine Robinson33

Janine Robinson34

Gambling quiz (Problem gambling severity index)

Janine Robinson35

Janine Robinson36

Janine Robinson37

Janine Robinson38

Janine Robinson39

Janine Robinson40

Janine Robinson41

Going forward

Utilising the technology

Collaboration among the sectors

Keeping the common goals in mind

Adapting approaches from other jurisdictions

Janine Robinson42

Let’s Keep the game in gaming: Janine_Robinson@camh.net