Rising online casino operator Penn National Gaming has joined the Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly™ public service campaign. This partnership was announced via an official press release from the American Gaming Association on January 11, 2022.
The cooperation will see the gambling operator promote the responsible gambling campaign across the Barstool Sportsbook online platform and social media accounts. Furthermore, the campaign will also be promoted at Penn National’s brick-and-mortar sportsbook locations across the United States.
“Responsible gaming is core to our sports betting operations, and we’re thrilled to extend these efforts through our partnership with the AGA’s Have A Game Plan initiative,” said Jon Kaplowitz, Penn National’s Head of Interactive. “Our customers are sports fans first, and this campaign will allow us to educate everyone, whether they are new to sports betting or seasoned bettors, on how to wager responsibly in a fan-friendly way.”
The Washington D.C.-based AGA was founded in 1994 with the goal to promote education and advocacy within the gaming entertainment industry in the US. They established Have A Game Plan back in 2019 to teach consumers the fundamentals of responsible sports betting in an industry that has gained a lot of influence and volume throughout the last few years.
Some 20 companies within the industry have committed to supporting the campaign since and Penn National is the latest gambling company to join the fray. Other competitors such as BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, Entain, and Rush Street Interactive have done so previously. Sports organizations such as the National Hockey League (NHL), the PGA Tour, and Nascar, as well as American sports teams, are among the campaign’s partners.
Four key aspects of responsible gaming are highlighted in the initiative:
- Setting a budget and sticking to it
- Keeping betting social,
- Knowing the odds
- Playing with trusted, regulated operators
As of January 2022, 30 US States and the District of Columbia allow for legal sports betting within their borders.
“Penn National’s expansive digital and land-based footprint will amplify our Have A Game Plan campaign to consumers across the country,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “We are appreciative of Penn National’s significant commitment to the campaign as we collectively work to ensure every sports bettor is equipped with the knowledge to wager responsibly.”
Penn National and its Barstool Sports brand have already established enhanced responsible gaming measures. They will now add another layer to their RG measures thanks to the campaign, which educates sports bettors on responsible wagering. Penn National’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming was, for example, modeled based on AGA’s policies and guidelines.
The company has established an “exclude one, exclude all” policy, based on which, any self-excluded customers at any Penn National property are not allowed to gamble on any of its corporate brands, nor are they allowed to sign up for and participate in any of the brands’ online gaming products. Customers can set monetary limits and these are supported by waiting periods of 24 hours, seven days, and one month to increase or remove the limits. Furthermore, cooling-off periods of at least 72 hours can be requested by the patrons as well.
Educational material for responsible gambling is made available across all platforms. Public service assignments for the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline are regularly broadcast on all of Penn National’s and Barstool Sports social media channels as well. The company is also conducting training programs for its team members with regards to responsible gaming.
On the other side of the coin, Barstool Sports brand is also known for very vocal advertising tactics on social media platforms as well. Parent company Penn National self-reported and settled for a $10,000 fine with the authorities in Indiana after a questionable video discussing gambling losses appeared on Barstool’s official TikTok account. Ahead of the launch in the state, the brand was also found guilty of insufficient responsible gaming language on its website.
Penn National is currently offering legal sports betting in 13 US states. Its attempt to obtain a license in New York — the latest state to legalize online sports betting — was, however, denied in late 2021.
