Share 
Online casino news was plentiful this past week, as two key online casino states launched problem gambling initiatives and a popular online casino gaming studio released its quarterly results.
PA lawmakers form Problem Gambling Caucus
As real-money online casinos, poker and other forms of gaming become more widespread across the country, millions of people have placed an online bet or know someone who has.
“I can tell you that gambling, sports betting, and this frictionless betting we’re seeing has touched almost all the lives of people in my generation,” 31-year-old Pennsylvania State Senator Joe Picozzi said at a press conference on October 19.
“Everyone back home, somebody in your group of friends or one of their friends, has been drastically affected by this really new and emerging challenge of frictionless online gambling.”
Because of that, Picozzi said Pennsylvania is forming a group of lawmakers, known as the “Problem Gambling Caucus,” to discuss “common sense” regulations to protect consumers.
“The Problem Gambling Caucus will bring lawmakers together to put forward common-sense guardrails between consumers, especially young people, as sophisticated technology is designed to keep them betting,” Picozzi said.
Pennsylvania already regulates responsible gaming promotion in gambling ads as well as sets granular rules for online casino operators. The caucus will focus on specific tactics operators use to entice players to wager, including push notifications and technology that makes betting too easy.
Picozzi emphasized the risks online gambling poses to those under 18. He noted that 36% of boys aged 11 to 17 are already gambling.
New Jersey sets responsible gambling standards
New Jersey, one of the top three online casino markets in the country, has adopted new responsible gaming regulations.
The biggest update is a uniform approach to identifying problem gamblers, according to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement:
- Online casino operators must set mandatory dollar-amount thresholds and behavior patterns.
- If a player meets those criteria, the operator must review the player’s gaming history to spot problem gambling tendencies.
- If problem gambling is apparent, the operator must add the player to an at-risk list and begin a three-stage intervention.
“By establishing clear baseline criteria for identifying problem gambling behaviors and outlining the assistance operators must provide through three phases of intervention, New Jersey strengthens its safeguards for gambling patrons and expands responsible gaming awareness and required action across the industry,” the DGE said in an October 20 release.
Before the standardized steps took effect, there was no unified set of rules, the DGE said.
Evolution posts strong North American growth
Evolution, a gaming studio that creates titles for online casinos in multiple countries, announced during an earnings call Friday that its North American revenue was up 13.6% year over year.
The growth coincided with the rollout of several new online casino games, including Monopoly Roll’em, Disco Balls and Spinning Whale, a US-focused slots brand.
“All in all, I am pleased to state that this was an uneventful quarter with focus on core business and stable to good development across our markets,” CEO Martin Carlesund said.
