“I could sell you a case of 24 beers, and if you drink that over the course of a weekend… You’re probably not going to feel that great and might decide, I don’t want to drink beer again… If I sell you one six-pack a month for the next three years… that’s better for the business and it’s probably better for you… It’s about the approach. It can’t be all short term. We have to think more mid- to long-term.”~ Adam Warrington
This episode touches on industry challenges, ranging from fragmented coalitions to reactive vs. proactive narratives to short-term growth pressures to the need for greater transparency and collaboration, all while stressing that protecting players ultimately builds sustainable brands and a healthier industry.
Key Takeaways:
Social norms around gambling intervention lag behind alcohol and seatbelt safety.
National self-exclusion works best when it’s easy, optional, and cross-operator.
RG must be embedded in everyday operations, not just awareness months.
Long-term customer advocacy beats short-term revenue spikes.
Sponsor’s Message: Promoting a sustainable, entertainment-first global gaming industry.
Play’n GO is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025. Drawing on that experience from the dawn of the iGaming industry through to today, Play’n GO designs and creates world-class slot games in the online casino space.
Play’n GO wants to see a sustainable industry that puts players first. To realize that vision, Play’n GO:
Creates games designed to be entertaining and fun first
Actively lobbies for increased regulation to keep players safe
Refuses to make games that feature mechanics that we believe to be predatory, such as those that allow players to pay hundreds of times their normal stake to buy into the bonus round directly (‘Bonus Buy’ games)
Now live in over 35 regulated territories around the world, including all US and Canadian iGaming jurisdictions, Play’n GO is the leading provider of entertainment to the online casino industry.
For more info, visit www.playngo.com
In this episode, I was joined by Adam Warrington, the Vice President of Responsible Gaming at Underdog Fantasy (a newsletter sponsor), who has a unique perspective on responsible gambling policies given Underdog’s recent history as a DFS, sports betting, and prediction market company.
Warrington was able to look at the current landscape through the lens of someone who spent a decade in a similar role at Anheuser-Busch before moving into online gaming at FanDuel and now Underdog, and drew direct parallels between the alcohol and gaming industries, noting how decades of cultural shifts and social norms dramatically reduced drunk driving fatalities.
Warrington believes the gaming industry is still early in building similar socially acceptable conversations around spotting and intervening when someone may be betting too much.
Some other topics covered were the pros and cons of self-regulation, how proactive tools can prevent tighter government mandates, and why choice and convenience are critical for American consumers.
We also discussed Underdog’s Guard Dog initiative and its first investment: IDPair. IDPair powers a national self-exclusion program for major DFS operators. As Warrington noted, 75% of users who self-exclude from Underdog choose to also exclude from PrizePicks, Dabble, and Splash Sports.
Warrington explained that responsible gambling policies at Underdog are the same across the board, whether it’s a DFS, sports betting, or prediction market user. The same tools are in place, and excluding from one is an exclusion from all Underdog products.
Warrington also highlighted Underdog’s age-specific risk alerts and unusually close collaboration between the RG and VIP teams to vet high-value prospects.
