Responsible Gaming Regulations Would Help Protect Internet Gamblers

WASHINGTON, July 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, a leading advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families, said in an interview with the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative that there is a theoretical opportunity to implement safeguards in a regulated environment to protect against compulsive Internet gambling in the United States. The Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), would require licensed Internet gambling operators to put protections in place to combat compulsive gambling. The National Council is neutral on legalized gambling and neither supports nor opposes the bill.

"I believe those people that choose to gamble on regulated sites could be better protected," stated Whyte. "The vast majority of people that gamble in the U.S. right now are never identified, whereas at least on the Internet ... because it is account-based wagering, the vast majority of customers are not only identified but tracked." Whyte added that collecting this information "provides a lot more opportunity to develop interventions to really assess where the gambling behavior is going and ... spot warning signs."

Existing technology and security controls have already proven to be effective in addressing compulsive gambling. Available safeguards include the ability to control the amount of money wagered, set limits on amounts deposited, restrict the duration that someone can play, identify and stop players whose gambling patterns seem out of the ordinary, and allow for consumers to be excluded from online gambling.

"Keith Whyte's comments clearly demonstrate that regulated Internet gambling can help protect Americans that choose to gamble online," said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. "The regulatory framework proposed by Congressman Barney Frank in the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act should be embraced by lawmakers as an opportunity to protect consumers and combat compulsive gambling. The safeguards exist, are proven to be effective and should be required by law."

A podcast and transcript of the interview is available at http://www.safeandsecureig.org/ .

About Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative promotes the freedom of individuals to gamble online with the proper safeguards to protect consumers and ensure the integrity of financial transactions. For more information on the Initiative, please visit http://www.safeandsecureig.org/ . The Web site provides a means by which individuals can register support for regulated Internet gambling with their elected representatives.