The International Center for Responsible Gaming (IRGC), an organization which has been tackling problem gambling and promoting responsible gaming for years announced today that it was giving away the first grant from its Sports Wagering Fund, which is backed by a long list of entities from the gaming industry.
DraftKings stand out on a list that includes the likes of MGM Resorts International, William Hill US, American Gaming Association (AGA), IGT, Hard Rock International and others, as the capital financier of the project.
The grant in question will be going to the Bowling Green State University, whose researchers will conduct a nationwide survey into the prevalence of sports betting in the US as well as the root causes of problematic gambling behaviors.
“A key pillar of our commitment to responsible gaming at DraftKings is our support for advancing research in this area,” said Christine Thurmond, Director of Responsible Gaming, DraftKings. “We were honored to support the ICRG with launching the Fund earlier this year to provide researchers at the top of their field an opportunity to compete for funding to advance responsible gaming knowledge. I want to congratulate the ICRG and Bowling Green State University on this milestone.”
The Fund in question was created by ICRG with the intention of researching causes and effects of problem gambling through proper scientific research. This means the Fund will be financing researchers in different parts of the world to conduct surveys and research in the field to find out how to promote responsible gaming in a better fashion.
Formerly known as the National Center for Responsible Gambling, the ICRG set up the Fund and asked researchers from all over the world to apply for it with their projects. The project proposed by the Bowling Green State University won, and the survey they will conduct will:
- Look into the general prevalence of sports betting in adult Americans;
- Look into potential root causes of problem gambling;
- Investigate the effects of technology on the gambling industry;
- Look for ways paths that sports betting should take in the future.
According to the principal researcher on the project, Joshua Grubbs, the project looks to research the entire sports betting industry in the US and try to understand what it is that leads some people into problematic gambling behavior patterns. The hope of the team is to realize these causes and find ways to promote responsible gambling and stop the harmful impacts of sports betting in the future.
The DraftKings Role in Responsible Gambling Promotion
DraftKings has been at the forefront of the responsible gambling promotion campaign in recent years, with a variety of initiatives they pushed through their S.E.R.V.E.S. corporate social responsibility program.
The continuing efforts of DraftKings to assist in the global promotion of responsible gambling were reflected in their financial contribution to the Fund in question here as well, as the company announced their participation through a recent press release.
DraftKings is a platinum member of the National Council on Problem Gambling and has been actively involved in the fight against problem gambling by allowing players to use a variety of tools on their platform which promote responsible and safe sports betting including self-exclusion, deposit limits, and more.
