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The Entain Foundation and the NHL Alumni Association (NHLAA) have signed a three-year partnership in which the foundation will promote responsible gambling.
The foundation, which was launched with the help of gaming company Entain Group, will provide financial support for the NHLAA’s health and wellness program, as well as provide responsible gambling educational materials.
In a statement from the foundation, NHLAA President Glenn Healey was optimistic about the partnership’s impact:
“The NHLAA is proud to be entering this new partnership with Entain Foundation and our team is aligned with their vision of promoting responsible gaming research and education tools to sports fans. We look forward to using the collective voice of our NHL Alumni members, each of which has paved the way for the game we love today, to champion safe gambling practices for all.”
Stakeholders will work together to build an educational program
The foundation and the NHLAA will work together with gambling tech company Wager Score to create educational material. One of the Wager Score app’s main functions is to tell bettors whether a bet is affordable based on the user’s discretionary income. It scores the affordability of a bet, helping the user understand if they can afford the bet.
That type of data analysis, along with information about how to bet responsibly, will further the NHLAA’s goal of protecting NHL fans from gambling harm, Entain Foundation Trustee Martin Lycka said.
“As sports betting continues to grow in popularity throughout North America, it is crucial that we expand our educational efforts,” Lycka said in a press release. “This new partnership reflects this importance and will ensure that NHL Alumni and fans can gain access to impactful, educational programs on how to avoid gambling harm.”
Entain partnership latest in string of responsible gambling developments
Over the five weeks, there have been no less than four major announcements about responsible gambling programs:
- April 27: The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) joined its “Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly.” campaign.
- April 20: The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) announced it appointed a responsible gaming czar to lead the state’s responsible gambling efforts
- April 18: Sports betting integrity firm, US Integrity joined the AGA’s Have a Game Plan campaign.
- March 30: The Entain Foundation revealed that three companies joined as members: Fanatics, Hard Rock Digital, and PointsBet.
The rise of these partnerships makes sense. The sports betting market in the United States has exploded since 2018. More than 30 states now offer some form of legal sports betting.
Since 2018, the monthly national sports betting handle has jumped from around $310 million in June 2018 to more than $11 billion in January 2023, according to LegalSportsReport.
With that meteoric rise in money bet on sports, there has been a significant spike in problem gambling. And, as a 2022 report from Stateline noted, lawmakers and regulators are learning about problem gambling risks on the fly and trying to address them.
“Everyone was, ‘Legalize, launch, learn,’” USI CEO Matt Holt told Stateline. “We did the first two. Now we’re learning. I think the industry as a whole has embraced the fact that there were probably some holes to fill on the integrity and responsible gaming side.”
