MGC Ponders Proposal for a New Self-Exclusion Initiative
Following the latest open meeting of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), the most groundbreaking item in the minutes was a proposal for a new self-exclusion scheme with a distinctive unique benefit.
The self-exclusion technology being developed will service Massachusetts, and the New England area. (Source: Phil Even, Pexels)
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:With the technology already having been developed and close to launch, it appears the MGC is considering implementing this, though a number of issues need to be ironed out and agreed on first.
It also appears that all in attendance were in favor of the proposal, which would essentially be a first in the US for self-exclusion.
What Does the New Scheme Propose?
The technology that has been developed not only has the ability to service the state of Massachusetts but also many others in the New England area. As such, it would operate as a multi-state product.
Initial outlines suggest that all online casinos and sportsbooks can sign up for this at their discretion, with the belief that numerous state regulators would be heavily encouraging them to do so.
Furthermore, the flexibility is such that there is not a mandated amount of time that a customer can sign up for the scheme. As such, it means that if they wanted to trial it for one week to see how much impact this has, then they would be free to do so.
Also, the idea is that if a customer that signed up in Massachusetts then travelled to another New England state that had approved it, such as Maine, then this exclusion would apply, despite the US utilising geo-fencing in the gambling industry when it comes to the actual wagering part of it.
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This proposal, while still in its early stages has been met with widespread approval by the Commissioners attending the meeting, though slight concerns do remain, as highlighted by Director of Research and Responsible Gambling, Mark Vander Linden, who revealed that: “...such hurdles extend into technology and privacy, and working to identify where issues would arise. Clearly there is a direction from legal and IP divisions for a way forward should the commission wish to pursue this.”
What Is The Major Concern?
Among Commission members in attendance, the main concerns were around costing for the initiative, in addition to rollout time.
It appears that there is, as yet, no budget consideration and it was suggested that a low, medium and high cost proposal would be put forward, while there was also an indication that this would be next discussed on August 15, however, this date is understood to have been made flexible.
There is no doubt that such an initiative could be effective if voted in and other states get on board, while it also highlights advancement in innovation in the state of Massachusetts in the online gambling industry. Time will certainly tell, but so far it seems that talks are heading in a positive direction!
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Comments for MGC Ponders Proposal for a New Self-Exclusion InitiativeSounds promising for responsible gambling, but I have some concerns. The privacy issues and tech challenges mentioned are significant. Not sure how they'll handle those...